Seal Of Fears
by Millenium Pen
Summary: Tragedy strikes Domino City! One by one, Yugi and Joey's friends and family start to fall victim to the same person. Now they must defeat this new evil. But how can they win, when their Greatest Enemy, is their Greatest Fear? Sequel to FBTG Chap10up
1. The Saga Continues

MP: Hello! For those of you who read my first story, Friendship Beyond the Grave, welcome back! For all you new readers, welcome, I hope you enjoy this story. There will be some mentioning of the other fic in this story. You can go and read the other one, but you don't have to. Anyway, here is chapter one, I hope you enjoy...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Yami to Yugi**

_Yugi to Yami_

"Speaking"

'thinking'

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**Seal of Fears**

**_Chapter 1_**

It was yet another day in the city of Domino. The weather was gorgeous. The sun shone brightly, the breeze was gentle, and everything seemed peaceful. This was the kind of day where it seemed like nothing could go wrong. The kind of day, in Domino City, when everything did.  
Two teenage girls were walking down the streets. The older girl had short brown hair and bright blue eyes. The younger one was a few inches shorter, with long reddish brown hair with brown eyes. "Thanks for spending the day with me Tea." Serenity Wheeler said smiling. "No problem. I'm having a good time myself." Tea Gardener replied.  
The two where spending the day together, relieved that the whole Kutana incident was over. Now that Joey was alive, Kutana was safely behind bars, and the Millenium Cage had vanished, all was right with the world once again. It was a month and a half since that gloomy event had started, but nobody really remembered it. Sumi and Kiko had erased the memories of all but a few of Joey's closest friends and family. Now it seemed like nothing more than a distant dream, or maybe a nightmare.  
Tea and Serenity walked along the sidewalk, enjoying the peace that rarely graced the city. "It's so nice to finally have a day where the world, or someone's life, doesn't need saving." Tea said, sighing with relief. "Yup." Serenity nodded. Tea looked around and spotted an ice cream stand. "Hey Serenity, wanna get some ice cream?" she asked. "Sure." Serenity answered.  
They walked up to the stand and ordered two cones. Tea accidentally dropped hers on the cement. She asked for a free one, but the man working at the stand denied her one. That was when Tea started to argue with him.

"What do you mean I don't get a free one? I dropped it!"  
"I'm sorry ma'am, but I don't give out free cones."  
"But I dropped it! It's only common kindness to give me a free one!"  
"Sorry ma'am."  
"Then I want a refund!"  
"Sorry, no refunds."

Serenity boredly watched the conflict. She could tell this would last a while. Suddenly, she heard a quiet voice whisper in her ear. "serenity..." "Who's there?" she asked, looking around. " in here..." The raspy voice called her into an alleyway nearby. "serenity..." Serenity curiously walked inside. Tea didn't seem to notice, as she was caught up in the heat of the argument.  
"W-who are you?" the red headed girl asked, starting to get frightened. The voice started to chuckle in a dark, eerie way. The female Wheeler felt her heart beating faster as her fear started to increase. "I have to get out of here." she said to herself.  
"not so fast..." the voice said. As Serenity turned to leave, a dark smoke came up. The shadowed cloud surrounded her. It filled the alley to a blinding point. Soon, Serenity found that she was lost in darkness. "Where did everything go?" she cried.  
Suddenly, a blood red light began to shine from out of nowhere in the middle of the air. It traced around the young girl in the form of a large circle. lines began to appear, traveling across the circle. After it was finished, it took the form of a ten pointed star. It dropped down to the ground, and lit up brightly, then faded into a dim glow.  
"What's going on?" Serenity asked looking around her. The smog was now blocked out of the circle for some reason. "That's it. I'm getting out of here." The red head attempted to run out of the alley. But she was blocked off by an invisible wall that emitted small electric shocks whenever she touched it. "W-what? Let me out!" she cried.  
She stopped dead when she heard a low hiss. She turned to face darkness. "Who's there? Let me go!" she yelled out. The hiss was heard again. Serenity was shaking in fear now. She turned and banged on the wall. "Please! Someone! Help!" she shouted.  
The hiss crept closer. Each second, it grew louder and louder. Whatever was coming, it was very near. Serenity fell silent when she felt hot air on the back of her head. The hissing creature was right behind her. She prayed it wasn't what she thought it was.  
Slowly, she looked back. Her eyes moving to the figure behind her. She turned to face it. Her chocolate brown eyes widened and filled with fear as they met a large pair of yellow ones. Before her, stood an enormous, green snake. The part of it that was visible from the smoke, was as big and long as two school buses at the least.  
Serenity stood frozen in fear. The giant serpent stared at her with an evil glare. It opened it's mouth wide, showing it's white fangs, which where longer that a human arm. And as sharp as that a needle. It lunged at the red headed girl with a loud hissing growl. It came so fast, that she barely say it moved before the fangs cut into her. A shriek echoed through the alleyway.

The voice laughed darkly as his victim fell to the ground. The snake vanished and the red circle shrank. It circled the girl's body, then glowed brightly. When it faded, the circle disappeared aswell, leaving it's mark on the fallen red head.  
"What an easy target." the voice chuckled. A man with a black cloak on stepped from the shadows as the smoke cleared. The man's face was covered by a hood. All that could be seen was an evil smirk.  
He looked over the girl. "Yes, This is definitely the Wheeler girl." he concluded. "This should get him pretty wound up." he laughed.  
"Serenity!" came Tea's voice. The man looked up. He smiled and stepped back into the shadows. "May you serve my purpose." he whispered to Serenity. "Now, off to my next victim." With that, he faded away into the shadows.

"Serenity! Hey, where are you?" Tea called. She looked at the alley. "She must have gone into the alley." she decided. The brunette walked to the alley, smiling. "Hey Serenity, I finally talked the guy into giving me a free cone! Come on, lets...go..." Tea stopped in mid sentence. She stared in shock at the fallen body of her friend.  
She lost her grip on the cone. It splattered all over the cold pavement. She stepped forward. "S-Serenity?" she asked. She kneeled down and shook the girl's side. "Serenity?" she turned the red head over on her back. She pulled away in shock. Without warning, a scream of terror pierced the summer air.

* * *

Meanwhile, two boys sat at a table in a burger restaurant. Yugi Mutou and Joey Wheeler had been almost inseparable since the incident over a month ago. And people were starting to talk. In fact, at the moment, two other teenage boys were staring at them awkwardly.  
"What are you lookin' at?" Joey yelled. The two boys retreated and ran off. "Lousy gossipin' jerks." the blonde said, slumping back into his seat. "You know Yugi, I love hanging out with ya. But dis talk has gotta stop." he said, taking a sip of his cold soda. "Uh huh. That's great Joey." Yugi said, not even paying attention.  
Joey glanced over at the spiky hair duelist sitting across from him. The boy was writing a long paper. "What are you doing anyway?" the blonde asked. "Writing a paper for school." Yugi said, not looking up. "School? Yug, school ain't for another month and a half." Joey said, looking at his friend oddly.  
"I know. But every year, the teachers ask us to write an essay on what we did over summer vacation. So every year, I write it before school even starts." The shorter teen explained. "So that's how you always get it turned in on the first day!" Joey realized. "Yup." Yugi answered, his gaze still fixed on his work. "But Yugi, you still have half a summer left. Don't you think anything else will happen?" the blonde asked. "Nothing too amazing I'm sure. A huge incident involving the Millenium Items usually happens once every two months or so, so I figure I should be safe until school." the violet eyed boy explained. Joey concentrated, trying to calculate Yugi's theory.  
"Hey wait, the last incident happened a month and a half ago. So, wouldn't there still be the last half of this month?" he asked. Yugi didn't get a chance to reply. Joey's cellphone rang at exactly that moment.  
Joey pulled his phone out of his jean pocket. He pushed the button and held it up to his ear. "Hey, Joey Wheeler speaking." he said. From the other end, came Tea's frantic voice. It was muffled by sobs and shouts. And what sounded like an ambulance siren.  
Joey lost his grip on the cup he was still holding. It fell on the table, wet soda spilling all over the table. "Hey! Joey!" Yugi shouted in complaint as the drink soaked his paper. He looked up at his blonde friend. His expression changed from irritation to concern as he saw Joey's face. The teen's eyes were wide and his mouth was agape. He looked stunned. "Joey?" Yugi asked, wondering what was wrong with his best friend. Joey only muttered a sentence, that's meaning wasn't clear.

"Yugi...I think I just found something to add to your paper."

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MP: Phew. That's done. I hope you all enjoyed that. And there's plenty more to come. I don't know how long this story will be, so just keep reading. And I'll try to update soon. Well, thanks again for coming. Stay tuned for more chapters to come.And please, Read and Review!

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**No preview for Chapter 2. I haven't started it yet, so you'll just have to wait. Sorry! Bye!**


	2. Duel Monsters Gone Mad!

MP: Hello again my loyal readers! This is chapter two of my sequel story! I hope I captured the emotion well enough in this chapter. Oh, and there's a part near the end of this where you kinda had to read the Yu-Gi-Oh manga (volume 4). But, if you haven't read it,don't let that stop you from enjoying the story. Anyway, here ya go. Chappie 2...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

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**Seal Of Fears **

_**Chapter 2 **_

The sound of hurried feet echoed outside the main entrance of Domino Hospital. Two teenage boys came barging through the large glass doors. One was tall with wild blonde hair and honey brown eyes, filled with urgency. The other boy was shorter, with spiky, multicolored hair and large purple eyes. They rushed up to the front desk, where a nurse greeted them with a warm smile. "Hello, how may I help you?" she asked.

Yugi recognized her from when he came to the hospital to see Joey's body. He shuttered at the memory. "Serenity Wheeler! What room?" Joey shouted panting. The nurse understood him and told them to go to room A23 on the next floor up. The two nodded in thanks and went to the elevator. Yugi could tell by his blonde friends anxious face that he was very worried. Of course, he had a good reason to be.

Tea stood in room A23. She was looking at the white floor. She stole a glance at her friend in the hospital bed in front of her. She couldn't help but jerk her head away. She couldn't bare seeing the girl like this.

The brunette heard the clatter of fast footsteps coming down the hall. "Oh no...it's them." she whispered to herself. She didn't want to see her friend's reaction to what lay before her. She had already seen Tristan's breakdown when he came in. He now sat by Serenity's bedside, holding her hand, and tearful expression on his face. It was really unnatural for him to look like this. He was always acting tough.  
Tea stepped away from the door as it flew open. Yugi and Joey appeared in the doorway, stopping dead upon seeing the scene in the room.

Serenity Wheeler was lying on the hospital bed. Her body was limp and lifeless. Bandages were tightly wrapped around her shoulder, leading down to her waist. They were stained with faded crimson blood. But was most shocking was her face. Her eyes were opened wide, her mouth agape. Her expression was twisted in fear and horror. Like she was frozen in mid scream.

Yugi clapped his hands over his mouth to keep from screaming. Joey's body twitched, attempting to move him. He stumbled toward the bed, feeling like his legs would give way at any moment. He stopped at the side of his sister's bed and dropped to his knees. He couldn't believe this was happening. This was his sister in this bed, petrified, not even moving.

An eerie silence lingered in the room. Only the sound of beeping from the heart monitor was heard. After what seemed like an eternity, the deaf sound was broken by the male Wheeler. He stood up swiftly. His fists clenched tight, and tears building in his eyes, he burned with rage.

"Who did dis?" he growled. His voice seemed unfamiliar. Like it wasn't Joey speaking, but a snarling demon. "Tell me!" he ordered. Everyone looked at Tea. They stared, waiting, like expecting her to know the answer. "I-I don't know." she confessed in a sad voice. "What do you mean ya don't know?" Joey practically yelled. "Joey! Don't yell at her! It's not her fault!" Yugi defended his female friend. Tea explained her story, trying her best not to break out in tears.

"We just went out for ice cream...and..I got in an argument with the guy who worked at the stand. When it was over, I noticed she wasn't with me. So I checked the alley nearby. That's when I found her like...this.."

Tristan jumped up, clutching Joey's shoulders when the blonde boy looked like he was about to go on a rampage. "Joey! Calm down man! It's not Tea's fault! Just settle down!" he shouted. The blonde was panting in anger, but knew his brunette friend was right. He took a deep breath and sat down on a chair next to Serenity's bed.

"I'm sorry." he said, leaning over on the bed. He closed his eyes, letting hot tears fall. "It's just..." There was no use in putting on his tough guy act. He couldn't even if he tried. "Joey..." Yugi said sympathetically, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "...it's okay to be upset."

Joey was quiet. He took hold of his sister's hand, treating it like the most precious thing in the world. He suddenly straightened up, looking like he had just made a discovery. "Hey guys." he said, catching everyone's attention once again. The three teens looked to Joey. The blonde turned the red head's hand over to the palm. It revealed a strange marking. It was a blood red circle, with a ten pointed star inside. "What's dis?"

* * *

Later that night, the lights were still on at the Mutou house. Solomon Mutou was sweeping the game shop that he and his grandson lived right above. It was closing time and the store was empty and quiet. Yugi had called, saying he was at the hospital to visit Serenity, and would be back around nine o'clock. So Mr. Mutou, known better as Grandpa, was doing Yugi's usual chore. 

He set the broom aside, wiping the sweat from his brow. "There all the work's down." he sighed to himself. "Time to prepare for bed." The old man stretched a little, before walking to the front door. He opened it slightly and turned the Open sign to Closed. He turned back to the living room and made his way to the stairs.

Suddenly, he heard something. A low voice calling him, "..solomon..." "What? Who's there?" Grandpa asked looking around. "..solomon..." the voice repeated. It seemed to be coming from the back room, where he kept all the Duel Monsters cards that were shipped to the store. "..solomon.." the voice called once again. Grandpa walked to the back room, peering inside. "Yugi? Is that you calling me?" he asked. "..solomon..." He followed the voice into the dark room.

"Hello?"

Slowly, a black fog began to gather. "What? Smoke? Is there a fire?" the gray haired man began to panic. the black cloud rose around him, allowing nothing but blackness. "What's going on?" the old man asked. He began coughing on the smoke. Out of nowhere, a red circle appeared around him. A ten pointed star pattern traced itself across.

The man stopped choking on the smoke as it was blocked off by an invisible wall. "What on earth?" he asked. A growl came from somewhere in the dark. Grandpa turned to see nothing but black. He turned around, trying to see where the exit was. The growl came again.

The old man noticed it was closer this time. He turned again. Nothing was there. Out of the bottom of his eye, he saw something on the ground. It was a Duel Monsters card. His walked over to it and bent down."How'd this get here?" he asked, picking it up. It was a Swordstalker, a powerful monster card. Suddenly, the picture began to swirl, like a whirlpool.

A dark purple lump appeared, followed by white eyes and an evil smile. It seemed to emerge from the card like magic. "Ah!" Grandpa yelled, dropping it in surprise. Soon, a life-size Swordstalker was standing in front of the old man. It was real, flesh and blood. Out of nowhere, more cards appeared on the floor. Out of each, came a vicious monster.

Headless Knight, Drill Bug, Harpy Lady, Silver Fang, Great Moth, Hitotsu-Me Giant, Armored Zombie, they kept coming. Soon, Grandpa's vision was full of snarling monsters. "W-what's going on?" he cried. His heart was beating like a hammer. This was just like what happened with Seto Kaiba so many years ago. He felt as though he could hardly breathe.

The Swordstalker gripped the handle of it's jagged yellow sword. It growled, as if giving a command to all the monsters. They all growled in response. With one swift movement, they all lunged at the old man. A scream filled the empty game shop.

The cloaked man walked into the back room as the smoke cleared. The circle had faded away and the monsters disappeared. "These mortals are too easy." he laughed. The old man lay on the ground, looking much like the red headed girl had.

A clatter came from the other room. "Grandpa, I'm home!" a voice called. The cloaked man looked behind him, catching a glimpse of spiky hair. He smirked and looked back at the man. "Two down. So many more to go." Without warning, he disappeared back into the shadows.

* * *

Yugi walked back to the game shop where he lived. He was looking at the sidewalk, staring off into space. He couldn't help but think of Serenity and Joey. He'd never seen his blonde friend act like that before. Especially not towards a friend. 

**Aibou, are you all right?** Yami asked, appearing next to him in spirit form.

_Sort of...I mean, Serenity's in the hospital._ Yugi answered.

**Yes, I know. I'm sorry. **

_It's not your fault Yami. But thanks anyway._

**Light... **

_Yes Yami? _

**...nothing. **

_No, really, what is it? _

**...It's just..I don't mean to worry you...but when we were at the hospital, I felt a strange power. **

_Are you sure it wasn't just Joey's rage?_ Yugi joked.

**No, I'm serious. I felt something...something strong, something dark...something... **

_...something? _

**...something evil.**

Yugi was about to respond when he noticed he was at the door to his home."Oh, we're home already?" he asked himself. He placed his hand on the door, ready to push it open, when Yami stopped him.

**Aibou! There it is! **

_What? _

**That feeling! The same one I felt with Serenity! **

_Huh? _

Yugi put two and two together. If this was the same power Yami felt with Serenity, then, did that mean...

"Grandpa!"

Yugi pushed open the door and went inside. "Grandpa, I home!" he shouted, hoping to get a reply. "Grandpa?" he yelled out. "Grandpa, are you here?" he called. The small duelist noticed the door of the back room open. "That's weird." he said to himself.

The boy walked to the back room. He glanced in through the doorway. "Gran-" he stopped in mid sentence at the sight before him. His eyes widened and his legs felt weak. He tried to say something, but the words seemed to die on his lips. Finally he managed to stutter out a cry.

"G-Grandpa?"

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MP: Phew. Well, there it is! Chapter two. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm trying to end my chapters with more suspense this time. I like it. But, it's you readers who keep it alive, so you decide. Anyway, I'm gonna go work on my next chappie. Oh, and I DO have a preview for chapter 3 this time! Anyway, see ya'll later! Read and Review!

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**Preview for Chapter 3**

**Aibou? Are you okay?**

Not really Yami. I'm still worried about Grandpa.

"What happened to him?" Joey asked.

Yugi and Yami were a little surprised that Joey was now in on the conversation. But remembered why.

Oh yeah, you can see ghosts huh?

**Yes, I'm still not used to talking with you in spirit form.**

"Yeah. Still adjusting to it myself."

Hey, how can you read my thoughts in this conversation? I'm not a ghost.

"I dunno" Joey shrugged.

**Anyway, Grandpa was attacked last night.**

"What? By who?"

I don't know. I just found him in the back room, lying on the floor.

**We do have a theory though.**

"What?"

**That it was the same person who attacked Serenity.**

"How can you tell that?"

_Because Grandpa has the same symbol on his hand that Serenity had._

Joey was silent for a moment.

_Joey? Are you okay?_

"Yeah...but it's weird."

**I know what you mean. First Serenity, now Grandpa. **

"It seems like the targets are circling around **our** loved ones."

But, if that's true, then...who's next?


	3. The Angels Explain

MP: Hey everybody! Sorry this chapter took so long to get up. I had some minor difficulties. Anyway, here's my next chapter. It focuses a little more on the plot. There is also a bit of humor, not much, but a little. It has to do with Joey and ghosts. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Here you go, Chapter 3.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

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**Seal Of Fears**

_**Chapter 3**_

Joey's eyes opened slowly. The bright sunlight was shining through the clear window. The snow white sheets felt soft against his face. His hand was gripping something. It was gentle and warm. The blonde moved his eyes to where his hand was. It was holding someone else's. He pulled his head up tiredly to see who the hands belonged to.

His heart jumped in his chest when he saw his sister's face, which was still frozen with the look of fear. He suddenly remembered everything that had happened. Though he really wanted to return to the bliss of not knowing. He had stayed here the entire night. Though, that was only because he refused to leave. He even had to fight off security when the hospital said that visiting hours were over. Eventually, they just gave up and let him stay.

Joey looked at his sister with deep eyes. He felt his stomach growl. It was breakfast time. He looked from his stomach, to his sister, to the door. He decided that Serenity wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. He might aswell go get some food from the cafeteria. He didn't care what other people said about hospital food. If it was food, he'd eat it. Unless it was broccoli.

The blonde duelist stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him. He paused in the middle of the hallway and sighed. "Serenity..." he whispered.

* * *

"Stop it!" Joey yelled. He poked him again. "Stop it!" the blonde ordered. Joey was being poked continuously by the ghost of a ten-year old boy. Ever since he had died and come back to life, he could see spirits. At first, it sounded cool. But now he was regreting it.

The boy poked him again. "Would you quit already?" he snapped. The boy stuck out his tounge and laughed. "Get outta here!" Joey shouted. The boy, feeling satisfied with his tormenting of the teen, ran off giggling. "Stupid ghost kids." Joey muttered. He looked around to see people staring at him like he was insane. He felt uncomfortable. "Uh...what are you lookin' at?" he yelled, shaking his fist at them. They just turned away and got on with their lives, thinkng he was just suffering from head trama or something.

Joey was walking in the main entrance, trying to find the cafeteria. He remembered passing it before, when he had followed Yugi to see his body. 'It's gotta be around here somewhere.' he thought.

While searching, he saw the glass door. He ended up wandering outside for some fresh air before he ate. The morning air was clean and crisp. He took in a deep breath and let it out. He was about to go back in, when he noticed a lump by the door.

He inspected it closer. It was a small figure, buried in a bundle of blankets. All that was visible was the tips of what was probably spiky hair. Joey's eyes widened as he realized who it was. "Yugi?"

The figure sprang up from under the covers. "Grandpa? Is that you?" he asked hopefully. He looked up at the person in front of him, only to meet the face of his best friend. "Oh...hi Joey." he said half hearted. Joey looked around for no particular reason. "Hey pal. Why are ya out here? I thought you'd be at home." he asked. "I-it's Grandpa..." the shorter teen said softly. He looked like he might cry.

The blonde looked concerned. He wondered what Yugi meant. Was Gramps in the hospital? He'd have to find out later. "Hey Yug, you wanna come get breakfast with me?" he asked. "No thanks...I'm not hungry." the spiky haired boy said. Right on cue, his stomach growled, causing Yugi to blush in embarassment. "Heh. Yugi, you're a terrible liar." Joey laughed to himself. "Come on, some food will help you feel better."

* * *

The two sat down at a table with their plates. Yugi sat across from Joey, silently nibbling at his food. He didn't seem to take much interest in the steaming bacon, eggs, toast, and hot tea he had chosen. Joey sat in his seat, devouring his selection. It consisted of six pieces of bacon, four eggs, five slices of toast, grapes, an orange, an apple, a bannana, twelve strawberries, and for some odd reason a large fried fish. All with a cup of orange juice, a cup of milk, and a mug of hot chocolate to drink.

Joey noticed something was wrong when Yugi didn't ask where he had gotten he fish. Usually, the boy would ask where he got such an odd food for breakfast, but now he didn't even seem to notice. Joey was about to ask Yugi what was wrong, when Yami got there first.

**Aibou? Are you okay?**

_Not really Yami. I'm still worried about Grandpa._

"What happened to him?" Joey asked.

Yugi and Yami were a little surprised that Joey was now in on the conversation. But remembered why.

_Oh yeah, you can see ghosts huh?_

**Yes, I'm still not used to talking with you in spirit form.**

"Yeah. Still adjusting to it myself."

_Hey, how can you read my thoughts in this conversation? I'm not a ghost._

"I dunno" Joey shrugged.

**Anyway, Grandpa was attacked last night.**

"What? By who?"

_I don't know. I just found him in the back room, lying on the floor._

**We do have a theory though.**

"What?"

**That it was the same person who attacked Serenity.**

"How can you tell that?"

_Because Grandpa has the same symbol on his hand that Serenity had._

Joey was silent for a moment.

_Joey? Are you okay?_

"Yeah...but it's weird."

**I know what you mean. First Serenity, now Grandpa.**

"It seems like the targets are circling around **our** loved ones."

**Yes.**

_But, if that's true, then...who's next?_

* * *

Joey yawned loudly. He had just finished his breakfast. "Ah. That was good, but now I'm tired." he stated. "Big meals will do that to you." Yugi said, smiling at his friend. The shorter teen looked like his old self again. Always smiling and happy. Just like the sunshine.

The blonde rubbed his eyes. "Man, I really didn't get enough sleep last night. I think I'll take a nap in my sister's room kay Yug?" Yugi nodded. "Alright. Let's go." "Huh? Don't you wanna see Gramps?" Joey asked. Yugi nodded again. "Yeah, but his room is right across from Serenity's." "Gotta love irony eh?" Joey laughed lightly.

"Hey Joey, who were you talking to in the elevator?" Yugi asked as the two walked down the hallway to their rooms. "Oh it was just the ghost of some old guy. He complained alot. And I mean ALOT." Joey answered. Yugi giggled. "So this power is getting kind of annoying huh?" "Oh yeah." Joey said. Yugi smiled and shook his head, rolling his eyes. "See ya Joey. I hope Serenity is okay." he said, going inside his Grandfather's room. "Bye Yug!" Joey said, going inside his sister's room.

Once inside, Joey had to return to the gruesome sight. The cheerful moment that he had with Yugi was ruined by the cold, harsh reality of why he was in the hospital in the first place. He took a seat beside his sister's bed. He leaned down on the bed, trying not to look at the red headed girls face.

He took a hold of her hand again, like that was the last peice of his sister he had left. He yawned and shut his eyes, welcoming the calm darkness. Though images of his sister and what she might have gone through flashed through his mind. Eventually, he shook them out of his mind. He gladly allowed himself to fall helplessly into sleep.

* * *

"JOEY!" called a voice. Joey opened his eyes. He was in a dark void. There was nothing but blackness. "What? Where am I?" he asked. "Joey! Hey Joey!" called the voice again. It was farmiliar. Like someone he'd heard before, but he couldn't place it. "Joey! You fell asleep on the kitchen table you idiot!" scoulded the voice.

"Kitchen table?" Joey asked. He suddenly realized who it was. "Of course! Sumi and Kiko!" he said. "Ding ding ding! We have a winner!"

Joey turned around to see a blonde angel and a brunette angel floating in mid air. "It's about time you figured it out!" Kiko said smiling. "See, told ya he had a brain." Sumi said winking at Kiko.

"Hi girls. Haven't seen you two in a while. Not since I..." the words died on Joey's lips. He suddenly looked scared. "Oh no! I died again? What, did I smuther myself in da blankets?" he asked, starting to freak out. "Woah woah woah! Calm down Joey!" Sumi said, grabbing him by the shoulders. "No, you didn't die again." she said, trying to keep him from flipping out again. "Huh? Then, how come you two are here?" Joey asked.

"Don't you remember what we told you about entering dreams?" Kiko asked from behind Sumi. The boy blinked, suddenly remembering what he had done when he was a ghost. "Oh, so I'm still dreaming." he concluded. "Yes." the brown haired angel said, taking her hands off Joey's shoulders. "So...why are you two here?" Joey asked.

"Well," Kiko said approaching, "there seems to be a little problem." Joey sat down. Knowing Kiko and Sumi, this would take a while. "Okay, what?" he asked. Kiko brushed some of her golden bangs out of her eyes and cleared her throat. She began what would probably be a long explanation.

"Well, it seems that there have been alot of mysterious happenings lately. We have been speeking with some other gaurdian angels, and some say the person their watching over is falling into a coma. But not a regular coma. One where their faces are still twisted in fear. Like they were stone."

"Just like Serenity and Gramps." Joey whispered. "Exactly." Sumi replied. She decided to take over from there. "What's odd is what happens just before they go into this state. First there is a strange voice that calls the victim into a dark area where they are alone. Everything seems fine until some weird smog comes up out of nowhere. Then there's a blood red ring that circles around the person."

"Hmm...sounds weird. But, not that big a deal." Joey stated. Sumi slapped him over the head. "You didn't let me finish!" she snapped. The blonde boy rubbed his head as his brunette gaurdian continued. "The strangest part is that once the circle sets on the ground, it secludes the victim from everything outside. The smoke, the air, evern from their gaurdian's view."

Joey stood up. "Woah. So, why are ya telling me all dis?" he asked. "Well, you happen to know Yugi Mutou, and have experienced these supernatural things before. Basically, you're the only one on earth who can follow our orders and warn Yugi before it's too late." Kiko answered.

"Alright. If it'll help my sister and Gramps, then I'll do it." Joey sighed. "So, dis guy that's doing dis. Who is he targeting anyway?" the teen asked. Out of nowhere, a clipboard appeared, floating in the air. Joey noticed that it was labled, **Vitcims-Crisis#34564590**. Sumi looked at it, and stated,"It seems to be anyone who was envolved in your little death fiasco." Joey thought to himself. "That's all my friends and my closest family!" he realized. "Please!" he said, grabbing Sumi's shoulders. "Who's da next victim?" Sumi flipped over the list, to a page labeled, **Vitcims to Be-34564590**.

"It looks like the next person to be attacked is--"

"Joey! Hey Joey!" called a voice.

"What da?" Joey said looking around.

"Oh no, someone's waking you up!" Kiko alerted.

"What? Hurry! Who's da next guy?" Joey rushed.

Sumi looked closely at the page. "It's gonna be--"

* * *

"Joey! Joey!" Yugi shook his friend's shoulder. "Hey Joey, wake up!"

Joey's eyes fluttered open. He sat up, blinking away his tiredness. "What? What happened?" he asked, looking around. "Oh, good you're awake." Yugi said smiling. Joey turned to meet the face of his shorter friend. "Yugi? You woke me up!" he complained.

Yugi pulled back a little when the blonde shouted, but quickly recovered. "You've been sleeping for hours. I just thought you might want to wake up to see your friends." Joey looked next to Yugi, noticing Tea and Tristan standing there. They had the same sad looks on their faces, but attempted smiles. "Hey Joey." Tristan greeted.

"Yugi," Tea said turning to her friend. "I'm sorry again about your grandpa. If he the same as Serenity?" she asked. Yugi nodded with a depressed look. "Yeah." He looked at her with a desparate smile. "But, I have faith in Grandpa. I know he'll get better soon."

"And I know Serenity will pull through too." he added. He glanced at Joey, as if trying to reassure him that his sister would awaken.

Joey sighed to himself. He just sat, starring at his sister. He was actually getting used to her looking like this. He hated that feeling. But today, he couldn't seem to keep his mind on his sister or on Yugi's Grandpa. It kept drifting back to Sumi and Kiko.

What was going on? Who was behind this? Why were they targeting people involved in his death? Did they know he had died? Why wouldn't their memory have been erased? When were these questions going to be answered? But one question popped up continuously.

Who was this mad man's next victim?

* * *

Tea was walking down the sidewalk towards her home. She looked sad and ashamed. She knew it was her fault that Serenity was in the hospital. She should have been keeping an eye on her. She shouldn't have gotten distracted like that. She cursed herself for her stupidity.

"This is all because I had to get into that stupid arguement! I just had to get the free ice cream! I couldn't just go and buy another one! Argh! I hate myself!" she lamented. The brunette started bashing her fist into her head. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" As she scolded herself, she didn't notice the eyes that followed her.

* * *

MP: Welp. There you go. My next chapter will have some pretty creepy stuff. Well, if you aren't a big fan of insects that is. If you are afraid of bugs, you might not want to read it. Then again, it's not that bad. Either way, please read on! Oh, and don't forget to Review!

* * *

**Preview for Chapter 4**

"Huh? What's that?" Yugi asked turning his head toward the noise. "Sounds like an ambulance." Joey said. "Should we check it out? Maybe someone else got attacked." Yugi suggested. Joey nodded in agreement. "Let's go." The two threw away their soda cans and rushed over just in time to see the ambulance pull into the driveway.

It backed up and stopped. The back door opened and several ambulance operaters jumped out. "Come on! Let's get her out!" one man called. For some strange reason, Yugi felt a sudden jolt. "Who is it?" Joey asked in a whisper. "I don't know. I can't see." Yugi said. He jumped up continuously, trying to catch a glimps. When he saw the body, he immediately recognized it. His heart felt like it lept in his throat. "Oh no..." he said in a strangled whisper. "What? Who is it?" Joey asked anxiously. "It's...Tea..."


	4. Bugging Tea

MP: Hello readers! Welcome to the next exciting installment of Seal of Fears. This chapter majors on insects. So those of you who are really afraid of them, feel free to skip the scene where Tea gets attacked. By the way, I'm trying to get the plot moving along more. So I'm bringing up a certain suspect in the next chapter. But for now, read this one. Here it is, Chapter 4...

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!**

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**Seal of Fears**

_**Chapter 4**_

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A worried pair of blue eyes watched the sidewalk as their owner walked on. Tea continued toward her home. The dim lights of the streets of Domino was the only thing that made her surroundings visible. This night was unusually dark. But the girl didn't seem to notice. Her mind was set on her friend and friend's grandfather that were in the hospital.

She felt so responsable for Serenity's attack. She should have been paying more attention. She looked up into the black night sky. The stars were out, but were faded in the sky, due to the dominating lights in the city. A cool wind blew, sending a few locks of brown hair out of her eyes. The brunette found herself wondering about what had happened. She couldn't have had her back turned to Serenity for less than a minute or two. But now...

"tea..." a harsh voice whispered. It seemed to come from the wind itself. Tea spun around. She saw no one. "...tea.." the voice arose once again. Tea looked around, but still found not a soul. She turned back toward the direction she was going, and walked on. "I must have bonked myself on the head too many times. I'm starting to hear things." she decided.

"oh tea..." called the eerie voice once again. Tea turned, not seeing anyone. Her heart started to pound against her chest. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. She had to get out of here. She took off in a blind run. Turning every corner, passing every street sign, drifting in and out of the light emmited from above. She ran without thinking. Finally, she stopped, thinking she had gone far enough. She panted, trying to calm herself down. She looked at her surroundings. She suddenly realized that she had no idea where she was.

Deadly silence was all around her. And if she knew her life, that wasn't a good sign. She tried to concentrate and figure out what to do. She was lost and alone in the dark. This wouldn't end well.

Before Tea could realize what happened, she was surrounded by a thick black smog and a red circle that had a ten pointed star in the middle. "W-what's going on?" she said nearly screaming. Her voice was high pitched and she was on the verge of a breakdown. _This isn't happening! This isn't happening!_ she told herself in her mind.

A deep voice laughed evily. It was the voice from before. Also not a good sign. Tea looked around, her eyes darting in every direction. She had to find a way out. She had to escape. She had to get help.

A sudden noise rose from the ground. The scuttering and scurrying of tiny creatures. Tea dared not look down. She knew what that sound meant. She didn't want to, but she found herself doing it anyway. She looked down.

Beneath her feet were thousands of insects. Beatles, cockroaches, huge spiders, ants, and every kind of bug she absolutely hated. She screamed in terror. "Ahh! Bugs! I hate bugs!" She found herself jumping around, yelling at the top of her lungs. She couldn't move an inch without stepping on a roach or a black widow.

The insects hissed and crawled everywhere. It looked as if the ground was moving. Tea found herself trapped. She couldn't go anywhere. She stood perfectly still, petrified and trying to figure out what to do. "This isn't happening! This isn't happening!" she tried to convince herself. She closed her eyes, as if that would make this all disappear.

She felt something on her leg. She prayed it wasn't what she knew it was. She opened her eyes to see the bugs starting to crawl up her feet and onto her legs. She let out a shreik of horror. She bounced around, screaming childishly. "Get them off! Get them off!" she cried. The insects continued to crawl up her. They soon made their way up to her stomach. By now she was yelling her head off.

Before she realized what was happening, she started to sink into the floor. The bugs crawled all over, engulfing her entirely. They reached her head and covered all but her eyes, nose, and mouth. At this point Tea had just fallen into a complete state of shock and terror. She felt herself reaching the ground. Before her vision was blocked by the insects, she found herself thinking in a desperate cry. _Yugi! Help me!_

* * *

A cloaked man stepped out of the shadows. A young brunette girl was lying in the street, her face frozen in a look of fear. He smiled evily. "These mortals are too easy. Especially the women." he said to himself. He bent down and looked at the red seal that was marked on her palm. "Well, either way, it's one more victim. And one more little nudge toward the edge for the pharoah."

The man turned his head at the sound of a car coming. Even from this distance, he could tell it was a police car. No doubt the policemen making their nightly rounds. He stood up and took one last glance at the girl. "This is the one the pharoah fancies isn't it? This will be amusing." he chuckled to himself. Without another word, he disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

"So these angels told you about what happened to Serenity and Grandpa?" Yugi asked when he and Joey were having a private conversation in Mr. Mutou's room. Yugi had wanted to visit his grandpa, and Joey needed to warn Yugi.

"Yeah." Joey said, trying to avoid staring at the face of the old man that lie in the hospital bed. "They said that it had something to do with you. Probably another Millenium Item deal." he explained. Yugi looked down with a sorrowful face. "So much trouble. And all because of me." he muttered. The duelist looked to face his best friend. "Joey, I'm sorry I drag you and the gang into all this stuff. It always ends up hurting you guys. Maybe it would be better if we weren't friends. That way, all of you would be safe, and wouldn't have to worry about me." "Yugi! Don't get crazy ideas like dat!" Joey retorted. The smaller boy looked surprised. "We're friends and we're suppose ta stick together! Through the good and the bad! Even if that bad is super-abnormally-crazy-take-over-the-world-pycho-evil-guy--bad!"

Yugi smiled at his friend. "Thanks Joey. You know, you're pretty good at these friendship speeches." he commented. "Yeah, I've been hanging around Tea for too long." the blonde laughed. "Hey, I'm thirsty. You want to go get a soda from a vending machine?" Yugi offered. "Sure. Why not?" Joey said walking out with Yugi.

After finding that the machine was out of order on their floor, the two went down to the main floor and found a machine in the lobby. They got their drinks and decided to go outside for some freash air. The two boys stood outside the entrance doors, breathing in the cool night air. Joey was thinking of how he would evade security in order to stay with his sister tonight, when he heard the sound of an ambulance siren.

"Huh? What's that?" Yugi asked turning his head toward the noise. "Sounds like an ambulance." Joey said. "Should we check it out? Maybe someone else got attacked." Yugi suggested. Joey nodded in agreement. "Let's go." The two threw away their soda cans and rushed over just in time to see the ambulance pull into the driveway.

It backed up and stopped. The back door opened and several ambulance operaters jumped out. "Come on! Let's get her out!" one man called. For some strange reason, Yugi felt a sudden jolt. "Who is it?" Joey asked in a whisper. "I don't know. I can't see." Yugi said. He jumped up continuously, trying to catch a glimps. When he saw the body, he immediately recognized it. His heart felt like it lept in his throat. "Oh no..." he said in a strangled whisper. "What? Who is it?" Joey asked anxiously. "It's...Tea..."

* * *

Joey punched the wall in anger. He, Yugi, and Tristan were now in Tea's hospital room. Tea herself was lying in the bed, a look of terror plastered on her face. Just like the others. "Darn it! Why does this keep happening?" Joey yelled. "First Serenity, then Gramps, now Tea! Who's doin' dis?"

"It is weird that the only victims are people we know." Tristan said, trying to maintain his cool. "Not as weird as you might think." Joey muttered." "Huh?" Tristan looked at him curiously. "Nothing." the blonde turned away. Yugi sat silently on a chair next to Tea's bed. He looked close to tears at the moment. Joey glanced at him, noticing Yami by his side. Yugi looked depressed and unsure of what to do. Yami, however, looked about ready to start busting some heads right away. The blonde had seen that look before. He decided it would be best if he kept quiet for now.

After a long while, Yugi spoke somberly. "So what now?" Joey shrugged. "I honestly don't know Yugi. Sumi and Kiko don't give me much info you know." "Who are Sumi and Kiko?" Tristan asked. It was then that the blonde realized he had never told anyone but Yugi and Yami about the angels. "Uh, just friends." he said. He didn't feel like getting into a long explaination right now.

"I just don't get it. Who would want to hurt everyone like this? And why would they go after our friends and family? It dosen't make any sense." Yugi sighed. "It's da oldest trick in da book of course." Joey said, leaning against the wall. "What do you mean Joey?" Tristan asked. The blonde folded his arms and spoke in a serious tone. "You know, get your enemy in their weakest spot. Get them emotionally. Then when you face them physically, they're usually a depressed wreck."

Yugi looked from Joey, to Tristan, to Tea, then at the floor. "So that's why everyone keeps going after you guys. They get to you to get to me." he thought outload. "That's a coward's way to fight!" Tristan growled, clentching his fists. "It may be a coward's way, but it's a smart way. It usually tends to work." Joey went on, "Like the time Malik brainwashed me and Tea and made Yugi duel me to the death."

That statement made Yugi feel even more guilty about how he endangered his friends. And Joey noticed. "Uh, of course, everything turned out alright with that! And the plan usually fails in the end!" he scrambled with his words, attempting to make his friend feel better.

It was a long time later before anyone said anything else. But after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Tristan spoke up. "So, you guys have any ideas as to who is behind this?" Yugi and Joey shook their heads 'no'. Joey tried to fall back asleep to try and contact the angels and get some information. But he just couldn't keep his eyes closed.

Whoever this was, they were pretty smart. They used a coward's method, but they were tactful. They attacked Serenity, then Grandpa, then Tea. Who would be next? Yugi's eyes scanned the room. Yami was next to him, still looking angry. He shifted his vision from Joey to Tristan. One of them would most likely be the next target. The spiky-haired teen felt a wave of guilt and fear rush through him. His best friends and closest family were being attacked. And all because of him. This wasn't fair. Maybe it would be better if he just left. Then they could have normal lives.

Joey was thinking to himself. He had given up on trying to sleep. He wasn't going to be able to rest anytime soon. He was trying to figure out who could have done this. Though usually it was some weird evil guy that just appeared out of nowhere. This would probably end up being the same case. _Whoever it is, I'll bash his skull in before I turn him in!_ he thought. --_Wait a second! Jail. That's it! **He** still has a grudge against both me and Yugi! Plus, if whoever is behind this is really after only people who were involved in my death, then it's gotta be him! He's the only bad guy that could have remembered that!_

Joey sprang from his leaning position on the wall. "That's it!" he exclaimed. He cletched his fists and wore a broad grin. "I got it!" "Got what?" Yugi asked, slightly startled at the sudden break in silence. "I figured out who attacked everyone!" the blonde practically yelled. "What? Who?" Yugi and Tristan asked in unison.

The blonde boy turned to his friends. "Yugi, Tristan, you guys keep an eye on Tea, Serenity, and Gramps." he ordered. "Huh? Why Joey?" Yugi asked, unsure of what his friend was planning.

Joey's smile faded to a smirk and he walked to the door. He turned the knob and opened it, ready to run out. Before he exited, he said, "Let's just say I've gotta go visit someone at the Domino Correctional Facility."

* * *

MP: Welp. There it is. I hope you enjoyed it. Can you guess who Joey thinks it is? If not, you might wanna go read Friendship Beyond the Grave again. Anyway, there will be a slightly surprising twist. Though not that surprising. Anyway, hope you enjoy it. And remember to Review!

* * *

**Preview for Chapter 5**

"Yukazuma, you have a visitor." the man said. Kutana lay on the cot-like bed in his cell, his face turned toward the wall. There was no response. "Hey Yukazuma! Wake up! You have a visitor!" the man repeated. Still no response. Joey began to wonder if Kutana was just as sound a sleeper as he was. "Ugh, just a minute sir. I'll wake him up." the man groaned. He pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the cell door. He walked in and shook Kutana to wake him. "Yukazuma! I'm not going to tell you again!" he shouted.

That's when Joey noticed something on Kutana's hand. It was a red circle with a ten-pointed star in it. His eyes widened at the famliar symbol. Could it be? The man in the cell turned Kutana's face over to see if he was simply faking to annoy him. He yelped and jumped back. Joey's eyes immediatly went to Kutana's face. It was frozen in fear just like the others. So it wasn't him. But it looked like the mysterious attacker had struck again.


	5. Identity Revealed

MP: Hello, and welcome back readers! Sorry it took so long to finish this chapter. I had a small writers block, but I got through it. Anyway, this chapter might be confusing if you have not read the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga, volume 7. But, just go along with it okay? Oh, this chapter reviels the identity of the bad guy! So, get to reading. Enjoy...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

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**Seal of Fears**

_**Chapter 5**_

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"Who on earth do you know in jail?" Yugi asked. "Joey, this isn't the time to be visiting your uncle!" Tristan shouted. Yugi looked at Tristan oddly. "He got released two weeks ago!" Joey said sweatdropping. "Besides, I'm not there for a friendly visit ya moron!" "Then, why?" Yugi asked. "Come on! Who do we know in jail that could possibly have something against Yugi?" Joey asked, hoping they would figure it out. Tristan and Yugi thought for a moment. It was Yugi who first made the connection.

"Kutana!" he exclaimed. "Exactly! And he had that Millenium Cage thing. It fits perfectly." Joey deducted. "But I thought you guys said the Millenium Cage disappeared." Tristan chimed in. Joey stopped talking and thought to himself. "Well, Kutana must have found it again!" he decided. "But I thought the item was only used to capture other items." Yugi said. "Stop disproving me!" Joey shouted annoyed.

"Anyway, I'm going to see him. If he's there, maybe he's innocent. But, if he escaped...he's our man." the blonde said, sounding like a detective from an old black and white movie. "Wait, Joey. I want to come with you!" Yugi said. "No way Yug. If Kutana is the attacker, then there's no telling what he'll do. I don't want you getting hurt." Joey said sternly. "But Joey! I don't want you hurt either. Please let me come!" Yugi pleaded.

Joey looked at Yugi, concern overwhelming him. He appreciated that his friend was worried for him, but this would be too dangerous. Then again, Yugi did have Yami to protect him. And It might be safer for both of them that way. But what if Kutana did to Yugi what he did to the others? He didn't want that to happen to his best friend. He had to say no! No way Yugi could come! Yugi wouldn't like it, but this was the safest way. Joey turned serious again and looked straight into Yugi's big puppy dog eyes.

About three hours later, Joey and Yugi stepped out of the taxi that had driven them to the Domino Correctional Facility. _Darn that Yugi. With his big chibi eyes and pleading little puppy face!_ the blonde thought annoyed. Why was he such a softy when it came to the puppy dog face? Just one more reason he didn't like dogs. "Come on Joey, let's go." Yugi said tugging his friend along.

"Yugi, this place isn't gonna open for another two hours." Joey said. "What? Then why were we in such a rush?" Yugi asked. Joey looked at Yugi accusingly. "We? You were the one who kept telling the driver to go faster. And he was bad enough as it was. I was the one clinging to back of the seat!" Yugi laughed uncomfortably. "Oh yeah..." he murmered. "So, what do we do now?" the smaller teen asked, changing the subject. The blonde shrugged. "Wanna get something to eat?" he asked.

* * *

Kutana Yukazuma was in his prison cell at Domino Correctional Facility. He had been here for a couple months now. He patiently sat on his bed, leaning against the wall and tapping his foot. All he had to do was wait until the gaurds let him out to the grounds and roam around for a while. When he was outside, he and a few gangsters he had met in here were going to break out. He would use a plan he had been working on since he was arrested for what seemed like the millionth time.

It was all because of that Yugi Mutou and the pharoah. Not to mention that weird friend of their's Joey. He could have sworn he had killed that blonde haired brat. He had shot him in the back the first time. Then the second time Juro had shot the kid through the chest. And he was still alive! That was one lucky brat. But Kutana knew that as soon as he was out of here, he would find the Millenium Cage again and get his revenge.

"Heheheh. Well well Kutana. I knew you were a lousy gangster. But to be arrested because of two kids? You're losing your touch." said a dark voice. Kutana looked around the cell. No one was there. Nothing but shadows and silence. "Who's there?" Kutana questioned. "Still as arrogant and stupid as ever though I see." the voice echoed. "Show yourself." Kutana demanded.

"Very well." the voice said. A man stepped out of the shadows. He was tall, wearing a black cloak with a hood. He pulled back his hood and revealed his face. He had wavy greying hair that went half way down his neck. He had a wrinkled face, but looked like he was only in his forties or so. He had dull green eyes. One eyes was covered by a gold colored eye patch that had the millenium eye symbol on it.

Kutana gasped. "Takesha? Is that you?" he asked, standing up. "Yeah. It's me alright. Long time no see, eh Kutana?" the cloaked man said smirking. "What are you here for?" Kutana asked, his voice turning angry. "Simple. I'm here to make my power stronger." Takesha said calmly. "And how do you plan to do that?" Kutana asked, his eyes narrowing. "That is simple aswell." Takesha replied, "Same as you. I'll get rid of the pharoah."

"What? You're after him too?" Kutana asked, surprised. "Of course. If I get rid of him, I'll become more powerful than I ever could using normal humans." the older man explained. "Hmph," Kutana closed his eyes and smiled dimly. "It'll never work." he said. "And what makes you think that?" Takesha asked, his smile sagging. "Because," Kutana said cooly, "The pharoah has friends. And one friend in particuliar that makes getting rid of him very difficult."

"Tch. Is that all?" Takesha's smiled returned. "I'm already working on that." Kutana looked at Takesha surprised. Had he found a way around the pharoah's friendship? "And what makes you think it's taken care of?" the younger man asked. "I'm using my Millenium Eye Patch." the man answered.

"What? How can that defeat the pharoah's friends?" Kutana asked. "Glad you asked." Takesha said. He went into an explaination. "You see, this item is special. It allows me to look into people's hearts and see their greatest fears. Once I know what their afraid of, it's all too easy. I lure them into a dark area where they are alone. Then I use the magic of the eye patch to trap them in a seal and the seal generates a simulation of their fears. If they give into that which scares them most, their mind is sent into the Shadow Realm. My personal favorite part is that look of pure fear that is left on their face."

_So the victim falls into a sort of coma if they can't face their fears? Geneious. Truely geneious. He must have used that on the pharoah's friends. That kind of thing would completely devastate him. And that runt he uses for a host would become a total shell! Amazing._ Kutana thought. "And now Kutana, the reason I've come to you." Takesha said, an evil glint in his eyes. "Huh?" Kutana snapped out of his thoughts. "Time to test your courage!" Takesha exclaimed. The eye patch he wore shined brightly. In an instant, Kutana's world went black.

* * *

"Excuse me, I'm here ta see Kutana Yukazuma." Joey said to the man at the front desk. Yugi sat in a chair by the door. "Alright. Would you like me to direct you to his cell? Or would you feel safer talking with him from behind glass?" the man asked. _Dang. I guess he is here. Well, might aswell check him out anyway. He could be sneaking out every night or something._ the blonde teen thought. "Just show me his cell please." he answered.

The man from behind the desk got up and unlocked the door that lead to the cells. "Right away sir." he said. Joey looked back at Yugi. "Hey Yug, I'm going to talk with Kutana okay? You stay out here." he called. Yugi looked disappointed, but reluctently obeyed. He waited for over five hours to see if Kutana was the criminal behind this. He could wait five more minutes.

Joey and the man entered through the door. Grey cells were side to side, each as dank and dull as the last. The only interesting thing their were all the people inside them. After quite a few questionable looks from the prisoners, the blonde decided it would be best if he just kept his eyes forward. Finally, the man stopped. They had arrived at Kutana's cell.

"Yukazuma, you have a visitor." the man said. Kutana lay on the cot-like bed in his cell, his face turned toward the wall. There was no response. "Hey Yukazuma! Wake up! You have a visitor!" the man repeated. Still no response. Joey began to wonder if Kutana was just as sound a sleeper as he was. "Ugh, just a minute sir. I'll wake him up." the man groaned. He pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the cell door. He walked in and shook Kutana to wake him. "Yukazuma! I'm not going to tell you again!" he shouted.

That's when Joey noticed something on Kutana's hand. It was a red circle with a ten-pointed star in it. His eyes widened at the famliar symbol. Could it be? The man in the cell turned Kutana's face over to see if he was simply faking to annoy him. He yelped and jumped back. Joey's eyes immediatly went to Kutana's face. It was frozen in fear just like the others. So it wasn't him. But it looked like the mysterious attacker had struck again.

* * *

"Man, what's taking them so long?" Tristan asked. He wasn't asking anyone in particular. Just thinking out loud. He still sat in Tea's room. He had been their since Yugi and Joey had left to go see Kutana. Although he was annoyed with them for taking so long, he hoped they were okay. "Well, no use in worrying I guess. It won't make them get here any faster." he sighed.

The phone rang, making him jump at the suddenly noise. He picked it up and answered, "Hello, Tea Garndener's room. Tristan Taylor speaking." "Tristan, it's Joey." a voice came from the other line. "Joey? What's up? You guys make it there okay?" the brunette asked. "Yeah," the blonde answered, "but there's a slight problem."

"What?"

"Well, I don't think Kutana's the guy behind dis."

"Huh? Why do you think that?"

"Cause I just found Kutana in the coma thing too."

"What? Wow, that's weird."

"Yeah, but what isn't in our lives?"

"Good point. So Joey, what are you and Yugi gonna do?"

"Hmm. Guess we'll come back. Just stay there okay?"

"Okay, but why?"

"Cause if Kutana ain't behind dis, then that means whoever _is_ is still out there."

"Alright. I'll stay put. But you two be careful got it?"

"Got it. Well, gotta go. See ya."

"See ya."

After that, Tristan hung up the phone and sighed. He leaned back in his seat and tried to relax. Though it was difficult when Tea was lying there looking like that. He closed his eyes, trying desperately to forget the image. It didn't work too well. He decided he'd go walk around the hospital. He could use a nice stroll anyway.

Tristan opened his eyes, expected to see the white hospital room. Instead, he saw a thick smog surrounding him. "What the?" He stood up looking around. A bright red ring was around him. Nothing else was visable. He tried running out, but found any direction was blocked by an invisible wall. A low growl echoed through the fog. Tristan looked around, trying to place the source.

A loud booming sounded. It seemed like large footsteps. And they were getting closer. Tristan tried to get away, but found it useless. He would have to fight his way out. The stomping grew louder and louder. Closer and closer. Until finally, a huge figure stood before the teen. It was three times taller than he was. It was a large, devilish looking beast. With long sharp fangs and talons. It had blood red eyes that seemed to burn into your very soul. Tristan recognized it from long ago. "Zorc?"

Tristan remembered the monsterous creature from a role play game he and the gang had played with Bakura. That was a freaky game. He had told Bakura he wasn't afraid of Zorc, but he had been lying. Now what would he do? He didn't have that little gun thing like last time. Or his friends to help him. Now he was alone and unarmed.

As the beast advanced on him, Tristan tried to throw a few punches and kicks here and there. But nothing worked. It was like a fly trying to take down an elephant. This was pathetic. Seeing no other option, he was forced back against the wall. The monster snarled at him. He stared back, trying not to let fear show in his eyes.

_I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid._ He kept telling himself. But he knew that deep down, he was wrong. He was scared stiff and that's all there was to it. He felt like a coward. Back against the wall. Trembling in fear. Well, he put up a fight. At least he was going to go out with some dignity. Even if he would die now, he wasn't going to die, begging for his life.

The brunette boy lay there minutes later. His body was lifeless and his face was frozen. He looked as if he was trying to hide his fear. But you could see it there anyway. He was frozen like a statue. Takesha stood there, staring in amusement. Another had been taken. At this rate, the pharaoh would be an empty shell in no time. The sound of footsteps came from the hallway. Takesha grinned his evil grin and spoke to himself. "Now then, off to my next victim." And with that, he disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

Yugi and Joey were in a taxi a few hours later. Both looked disappointed that they hadn't caught the right guy. Now they were on their way back to the hospital to talk with Tristan and form a new plan. Joey wished he could get some sleep so he could talk with Sumi and Kiko. But he hadn't felt tired since Tea came in. From that point on, he had a scared feeling in the pit of his stomach. Like something bad was going to happen. Now he just prayed that he could handle whatever this bad thing was.

Yugi stared out the window. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Kutana. And who it was that did that to him. Whoever it was must have been really smart. If they were able to sneak into jail, get a guy into a coma, and then sneak out without so much as a trace, was truely talented. Though Yugi wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

The taxi stopped suddenly. Yugi saw that they had reached the hospital. "Okay boys. We're here." the driver said. The two stepped out, paid the driver, and watched it speed off. They walked inside without a word to eachother. They took the elevator up to the floor where Tea, Serenity, and Grandpa were. Apparently all the doctors had just decided to stick everyone with the coma problem on one floor.

They just stepped out of the elevator and started walking towards Tea's room. "Excuse me gentlemen." a voice piped up. The two looked behind them to see a nurse next to the elevator door. "Huh? What is it?" Joey asked. "I'm sorry, but this hall is off limits." the nurse said. "What? But our friends are here." Yugi chimed in. "I'm sorry. But this hall is off limits to all but doctors. I'm afraid you'll have to leave." she persisted.

"Why? What happened?" Joey asked. The nurse looked over her papers on her clipboard. "The coma case has been proven contagious. It seems a young boy visiting here fell into the exact same coma as the girl he was in the room with. Reports also say that he has been in the rooms of the two other coma victims aswell."

A sudden bolt of fear shot through both Yugi and Joey. "Tristan!" Joey shouted. He ran off to Tea's room to see if Tristan was still in there. He had to be! That stupid nurse was lying! He was just fine! Joey threw the door open so fast it hit the wall with a bang. Tea was alone in her room, still in the bed. Joey felt fear come up again.

"Joey, the nurse said he's the next room over." Yugi said, coming up behind him. Joey didn't respond. He just took off for the next room and left Yugi to shut the door. He turned the knob and swung open the door. Tristan lay in the bed, his face frozen in a look of restrained fear. The blonde couldn't believe it. Another friend was gone.

Yugi came up behind Joey. He looked stunned and frightened. He didn't want to believe this either. Granted, he didn't know Tristan as well as Joey did, but they were still close friends. He felt himself sink deeper into guilt.

A scowl grew on Joey's face. His fists clentched tight. He could feel the rage building up. First his own sister, then Yugi's grandpa, then Tea, now Tristan. He couldn't take this. Someone was targeting his family and friends. They were dropping like flies! Who would be heartless enough to do this? Whoever it was, Joey wouldn't stand for it any longer.

"That's the last straw!" he shouted. Yugi was startled by the sudden yell and turned to look up at Joey. Before he could even ask what Joey meant, the blonde teen had already rushed out the door. "Joey!" Yugi called from the door frame. "Joey, where are you going?" he asked. Joey was already at the elevator when he shouted back, "I'm goin' ta pound this creep into the dirt!"

It took Yugi a moment to regester that the 'creep' was whoever had been doing this to their friends. A wave of fear and concern swept through him. "Joey no! Don't go!" he yelled. But he wasn't answered. Joey had already gone into the elevator and was on his way.

"Joey!" Yugi ran down the hallway, reaching the elevator door within seconds. He pushed the button repeadly, as if that would make the elevator come faster. He impatiently tapped his foot while waiting. Finally, the elevator reached his floor. Before the doors could even open all the way, he was inside, pushing buttons like a madman. He had to get to Joey before it was too late. If Joey found that person behind all this, he'd surely end up in the same state as everyone else.

He felt fear rise up in him again. _What if I don't find him in time? What if he ends up like the others? What if--no...I can't think like that! Joey will be alright! I know he will!_ Yugi sighed and felt the elevator finally going down. It was weird. He felt as if, as this elevator was sinking down to the next floor, he was sinking deeper into despair.

* * *

Joey was already out on the street. He was running aimlessly. He should have thought this through first. But there was no time for that. Yugi was no doubt trying to find him. But he wasn't going to go back without beating the tar out of this new bad guy. As he made his way down the street, he was completely oblivious to the cloaked man following him.

* * *

MP: There, chapter 5 is completed! I hope you all liked that. Well, there is plenty more where that came from. Can you guess what will happen to Joey? Well, I bet this preview will keep you on edge for a while. If not, eh, I tried. Anyway, stay tuned for new chapters! And don't forget to Review!

* * *

**Preview for Chapter 6**

Yugi continued to run through the streets. He was breathing heavily. He couldn't tell what it was from. The overwhelming fear he had, or the fact that he had been running around for almost an hour. He had talked with some people that said they had seen a blonde teenager run down the street he was currently on. Yugi hoped that he could find Joey. But he had an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hoped it was just from how worried he was.

He kept traveling the street, looking in every alley way, turning every corner. Finally, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned into an alley. His eyes took a few minutes to adjust to the darkness. Once he realized the surroundings, he gasped. He felt his heart rench out of his chest and jump into his throat. He felt as though he might suffocate. _No...no, this...this can't be happening..._ Yugi trembled and dropped to his knees.

Joey lay, flat on his back, on the cold ground. He was unconcious. He had an odd, blissful look, but it was clear to Yugi what had happened. The attacker had struck yet again. And this time, he had claimed Joey.


	6. Dead or Alive?

MP: Hello again readers! So sorry it took so dang long to get this chappie up. I was on vacation for a while. Plus there was some minor writer's block. Heheh...sorry. Anyway, there is a little twist in this story. I know the preview for this chapter probably got you guys anxious. Sorry, I just love keeping people on the edge of their seats. It's really the only thing that keeps you all coming back for more of the story! Anyway, enough rambling. Time for reading!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

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* * *

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**Seal of Fears**

_**Chapter 6**_

* * *

Joey ran through the streets. He had no direction, and no idea. All he knew was that he had to make this evil jerk pay. A hope filled him as he thought up what he might do. A surprise attack might be the best way._ Yeah, I'll jump him. A nice tackle from behind should do. Then a punch in the face, and a knee to the stomach, yeah, yeah._ He grinned as he thought up the scene.

And what about after he beat him? That would be great. He will have taken the bad guy down all by himself. For once, he'll be the hero. And then all his friends would wake up. Yes, life would be good. All he had to do was pound the guy into the ground. And pounding was his specialty.

He was laughing to himself when he realized he had no idea where he was. He stopped running and looked around. He didn't recognize anything. "Aw man, I shoulda paid more attention to the street." he scolded himself. He sighed. "Well,I guess it dosen't matter. All I gotta do is find this stupid creep. He's in this city somewhere."

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a cloaked figure. He turned to check what it was, but no one was there. He blinked and scratched his head. He could have sworn he saw someone. It must have been his imagenation. He turned around again and scanned the area with his eyes. Nothing was there. Not a trace of life.

He shrugged and started walking. Maybe he would find the person he was looking for further down the street. He could only hope so. He had to track this guy down. Unknown to him, he was the one being tracked.

After what seemed like forever, the elevator stopped. The doors opened and Yugi burst through them. He ran through the lobby, catching the eye of everyone in it. He ignored the strange looks and shot through the doors to the outside. He looked around, hoping to see Joey. But the blonde was nowhere to be found.

The teen dashed off in a desperate search. unwanted images of what might happen to his best friend kept popping into his head. He tried to shake them out, but they wouldn't go. Finally he just let his fear consume him and ran even faster. He had to find Joey before it was too late.

Joey started feeling more and more discouraged as he walked along. He didn't know exactly how long he had been searching, but it felt like hours. Then again, the blonde tended to be impatient, so it was probably just a few minutes. Either way, there was still no sign of anyone.

Joey stopped walking and decided to try and think this out. He leaned against a wall and closed his eyes. _How can I find dis guy? I don't even know what he looks like. Maybe I should have tried to get in contact with Sumi and Kiko before I ran off. That probably would have helped. Well, dosen't make any difference now. I'm already out here, so I guess I'll just keep looking._

He opened his eyes and prepared to walk again, when he noticed that there was something very wrong. Everything around him was black. Thick smoke surrounded him, leaving no view of the outside. _What's goin' on?_ he asked in his head. A red circle glowed from the ground. Joey recognized it as the symbol that was on his friends' hands. That wasn't a good sign.

"Oh boy," Joey said nervously, "this won't be fun." An evil cackle echoed around him. He looked around, still not seeing anything. "Who's there?" he called into the blackness. No response. "Come on! Come out and fight like a man!" Joey yelled. No response. This silence was staring to tick him off.

Without warning, the scenery around him changed into a purple haze. When the blonde realized what had happened, he found himself in an eerie looking graveyard. Tombstones stuck out everywhere and unknown sounds echoed in the darkness. It looked like a scene from a horror movie.

"Hello?" Joey called out, "Hey, anyone here?" No one answered. This dead silence was irritating. Speaking of dead. Joey looked around at the old gravestones. They had cracked edges and moss growing on them. They had been there for a long time. Joey felt more uncomfortable by the second.

Out of nowhere, a laughed pierced the silence in the air. Joey looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever had thought this was so darn funny. No one was there. A rumble came from the ground. The blonde looked down. The dead earth under him shook violently. "W-what's goin' on?" he yelped.

Suddenly, a hand shot from the ground and grabbed the teen's leg. It was rotting and brown. From what Joey knew, it was a..."Zombie!" Joey screamed in horror. He yelled at the top of his lungs and tried to pull away. "Ah! Zombie! Zombie!" The hand pulled harder, and a decaying body came out of the ground. It's face was rotting, with an eyeball hanging out, and skin that looked as if it were melting right off it's skull.

Joey screamed louder and pulled harder. He finally managed to get free from the zombie's grasp. He ran through the graveyard, fear overwhelming his common sense. As he ran, multiple hands and bodies rose from the earth. It was like a horror movie. The blonde felt like he was trapped in the scariest zombie movie ever, and couldn't escape.

Without thinking, Joey had run around in no particular direction. So he ended up with his back against a tree, staring at the most fearful sight he had seen. The zombies advanced on him. He could hear their groans and footsteps. Their undead bodies were getting closer with each passing second. The blonde felt like screaming, but couldn't find his voice.

He knew this was it. This was where it would all end. It was too bad. He had so much to live for. And because of his own stupidness, he had taken off and would now be killed by zombies. He certainly didn't see that coming. Although he had died once, he'd rather not go through it again. And he didn't think he'd get another chance at life, like he did last time. And then how would everyone else feel? Would his friends and sister ever recover? Would this evil madman ever be stopped? What would happen to Yugi and Yami? Questions swirled in his mind. The zombies got closer. Looks like he wouldn't get to find the answers.

For what might just be the last time, the blonde closed his eyes. He braced for whatever the zombies might do. He decided to think some more. It put him a little at ease. _Hm, kinda ironic ain't it? I can see ghosts now. And I'm annoyed by them. And yet, I'm afraid of these zombies. Weird. Wait, where did this graveyard come from in the first place? Why are my fears coming true? Could it be?_

Joey had a strange feeling that he might have figured this out. But there was no time. He could feel the zombies' breath on him. It smelled like an old slice of pizza he had found behind the fridge one time. Joey didn't dare open his eyes. If he was going to die, he wanted the last thing he saw to be happy.

He imagened Himself with Serenity, Yugi, Tristan, Tea, Grandpa, and all the others he cared about. He imagined the most peaceful picture he could. He found his memory floating back to when He and Yugi told everyone that he had come back to life, and how joyful they looked when they say him. That was one of the happiest moments ever. He cemented that picture into his mind. At that moment, all fear drained out of him. He felt the zombies grab him, and drag him down to the ground. But he kept a peaceful look on his face. His fears disappeared, and he was at ease. At least, if nothing else, he could die feeling happy.

* * *

Yugi continued to run through the streets. He was breathing heavily. He couldn't tell what it was from. The overwhelming fear he had, or the fact that he had been running around for almost an hour. He had talked with some people that said they had seen a blonde teenager run down the street he was currently on. Yugi hoped that he could find Joey. But he had an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hoped it was just from how worried he was. 

He kept traveling the street, looking in every alley way, turning every corner. Finally, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned into an alley. His eyes took a few minutes to adjust to the darkness. Once he realized the surroundings, he gasped. He felt his heart wrench out of his chest and jump into his throat. He felt as though he might suffocate. _No...no, this...this can't be happening..._ Yugi trembled and dropped to his knees.

Joey lay, flat on his back, on the cold ground. He was unconcious. He had an odd, blissful look, but it was clear to Yugi what had happened. The attacker had struck yet again. And this time, he had claimed Joey.

Yugi was in complete shock. He was shaking, choking back sobs. He had come too late. Joey was gone. When he finally snapped back to reality, a thought crossed his mind. _This is all my fault. It's because of me that all this is happening. If I weren't here, everyone would still be okay._

Without a second glance at his best friend, he jumped up and darted off. He ran aimlessly through the streets. Tears streamed down hisface as he thought of all the people who had been hurt because they knew him. He brought nothing but trouble to those he cared about. He had to get away. He had to go so far away that he could never hurt them again.

**Aibou! What's wrong? I'm sensing you're in pain. **Yami suddenly chimed in.

_Everything's wrong Yami! _Yugi cried. _I tried to find Joey, I really did! But I was too late! Now he's gone, just like the others!_

**What? That can't be true!**

_It is! And it's all _my_ fault! Whoever is behind all this is after me, and he's targeting people I care about! First Serenity, then Grandpa, then Tea, then Tristan, and now...Joey. I don't want anyone hurt anymore!_

**Aibou, it's not your fault...**

_Yes it is! Think about it Yami! If none of them knew me, none of them would be in danger every freaking day!_

**Yugi...**

_Shut up! Just shut up! Stop trying to be nice and comforting! Don't sugar coat this! I know it's my fault and that's all there is to it!_

Yami was taken aback by Yugi yelling at him. It wasn't something he did often. It worried him. When Yugi got mad, especially at him, the small duelist tended to be drastic and dramatic.

**Please, calm down.**

_Don't worry Yami. Everything is gonna be fine._

Yami had no idea what that was suppose to mean. Yugi didn't even seem to be talking to him.

**What are you saying?**

_I'm saying, I'm the problem. So, I've come up with a solution._

**And what is that?**

_I'm leaving. I'm leaving my family, my friends, my enemies. I'm leaving Domino...forever._

* * *

Joey opened his eyes. He found himself staring up at the sky. He felt a cold concrete ground under him. Where was he? What just happened? He remembered something about zombies. Was that all a dream? Or, more fitting, a nightmare. 

He sat up and rubbed his head, trying to remember what was going on. Something shot through his mind like a lightning bolt. He heard someone speaking. But it wasn't to him. _I'm leaving. I'm leaving my family, my friends, my enemies. I'm leaving Domino...forever._

_Wait a second,_ Joey thought, _that sounded like..._ He sprang to his feet and looked around, hoping to get some answers to the questions that filled his head. What happened? Where was he? What did Yugi mean? What should he do? He suddenly noticed that he had taken off in a run. He was heading in the direction of Yugi's house. Apparently he was going there. Hopefully, he could find some answers.

* * *

A cloaked figure stood atop a small building. He looked down at the busy streets below. A scowl was plastered on his face. "Curse that stupid kid." Takesha growled. "He escaped. How could he possibly have done that? He was somehow able to conquer his fears at the last minute." 

Takesha groaned. "Well, at least I can finally get the pharaoh and his host alone. That brat served some purpose after all." He glanced down at the sidewalk as a small teenage boy ran by. He had spiky, multi-colored hair and a golden pyramid necklace. He rushed frantically, tears streaming down his face. A wicked smile spread on Takesha's face. "Ah. Speak of the devil." He jumped from the ledge and landed on the next building over. If he followed the boy long enough, he was sure to get him alone.

* * *

Yugi stopped running to catch his breath. He didn't know how long he had been running like this, or how far he had gone. He didn't really care. _Thinking back, _Yugi thought, _maybe I should have gotten Joey's body to a hospital or something...instead of leaving it out like that. Who knows what could happen?_ The teen looked behind him. _Well, I'm too far away now._ He looked around to get an idea of where he was. 

He noticed that he was infront of his house. That was odd. He guessed he had run in circles a few times. An idea popped into his head. Someone might wonder where he was, since he was leaving without telling anyone. Yugi decided to write a little good bye note. Though he wasn't sure who exactly would read it. All his friends and family were in comas. Oh well. If they ever came out of it, they might want to know where he was.

He fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. He sighed and went inside. He looked around the empty store. Everything was silent. He missed his Grandpa greeting him when he came home. He missed surprise visits from his friends when they would drop by without a heads up. He even missed the random costumers coming in and out of the store.

All that remained now was a dark, quiet house. It was dusty from not being swept or cleaned since Grandpa had gone to the hospital. Even if that wasn't too long ago. Yugi sighed and went to the drawer to get a peice of paper and a pen. He pulled them out and wrote down a note. After he finished, he stuck the note to the front door with a peice of tape. After locking the place up, he took a final glance at his home. _This might be the last time I ever see this place again..._ he thought. He turned away and sadly started off towards the harbor. Or should he go to the airport? Or perhaps he could hitch hike. He shook his head. It didn't matter. Either way, he had to get out of this place.

* * *

Joey was breathing heavily by the time he reached Yugi's house. He stopped to catch his breath, then walked up to the front door. He was about to knock, when he saw the note. He looked at it curiously, reading it over. His eyes widened and he grew more worried with each word. 

To whoever it may concern,

I'm hoping that this is read by someone I know. Otherwise this might be kinda awkward. I have found myself alone in this world. My grandpa and my best friends were taken away from me a while ago. I can't take this anymore! It was because of ME that they are hurt. If one of them is reading this, I'm so sorry. I hope everyone is okay and that you are all happier now. I'm such a terrible friend for putting you all in danger. That's why I'm going to make sure I can't hurt any of you again. Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill myself. I learned my lesson when Joey died. (a/n: check Friendship Beyond the Grave chapters 3 and 4 for details) I'm leaving Domino for good. Where I'm going exactly, I can't say. Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell anyone. Someone might try to bring me back. Anyway, enough rambling. I need to go before Yami can take over and stop me. Good bye everyone. Please take care of yourselves.

Sincerely, Yugi Mutou

Joey was silent for a moment. He stood in shock, not exactly registering what was going on. Yugi ran away? No, it couldn't be. Yugi wouldn't just up and leave! Or would he? Agh! No time to think about that! Joey needed to get his butt moving if he was going to find his pal in time.

The blonde boy dashed off in a random direction. He had no time to think where Yugi might have went. Airport, harbor, taxi, anyone could take him away. But one thing was certain. That cloaked freak was after Yugi and the fleeing duelist was alone. That to Joey meant Yugi was in big danger! _Darn it Yugi! How could you do this? How could you take off? I thought you were smart! The bad guy is gonna follow you wherever you go!_ An idea shot into the teen's head. _Unless...that's what you wanted..._ Upon this thought he ran faster. _Yugi, you freaking idiot! You're gonna get yourself killed! _He felt his feet get heavier. He had been running too much today. He stopped for a second to catch his breath again.

_There has to be some way I can find him! But how? _He_ dosen't even know where he's going! Man, does fate hate me!_

At that moment, Joey heard a screech of what sounded like tires, followed by a loud honking sound. He looked in the direction of the noise and saw a black limo stopped infront of him. It was then that he realized he was in the middle of the street. He instinctively yelped and jumped away from the car. Taking a look at it, he noticed it looked familiar. _Oh no. Please tell me it isn't--_

"Wheeler, you mutt! Get out of the street before I turn you into road kill!"

_Yup. Fate hates me..._

* * *

MP: Yep, you guessed it! Time for everyone's favorite stuck-up CEO to make his appearence! And if you don't know who I'm talking about, you need to see more Yu-Gi-Oh...Seto Kaiba comes into the picture, at last! So that's something for all you Kaiba fans to looked forward to. Plus Mokuba is featured aswell. So keep checking back for updates! Until next chapter, Read and Review!

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**Preview for Chapter 7**

Takesha happened to catch a glimpse of Joey and Kaiba in the KaibaCorp building. He cursed under his breath. That stupid blonde really had survived. And now he had teamed up with the one person who had the most advanced technology in Domino, if not the world. At this rate, his plan might just be ruined. And that would mean all his careful time and effort went down the drain.

He wasn't about to let that happen. He spent too much energy on this for it to be messed up by some stupid teenager. In order to make sure the boy couldn't get help, he'd have to cut off his resources. Namely, one source, who's technology could prove to be a real thorn in his side.

Seto Kaiba.


	7. Seeking Help from Seto Kaiba

MP: Hello again my readers! Sorry for taking so long to update. I'm just having the hardest time getting these chapters up. I sure hope I can get the next one up sooner. Anyway, so here is what you've Kaiba fans been waiting for. The appearence of Seto Kaiba! Plus, Mokuba! Oh..and Yugi and Joey are in here too. So here ya go! Chappie seven!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

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**Seal of Fears**

**_Chapter 7_**

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"Wheeler, you mutt! Get out of the street before I turn you into road kill!"

_Yup. Fate hates me..._

Joey recognized that voice. The dark and oh-so-very annoying voice of the one person he really didn't want to deal with right now. Seto Kaiba.

Kaiba stepped out of the car, an enraged look on his face. Obviously not mad because he almost hit someone. More angry because of the blonde numbskull who was wasting his precious time. He eased himself into a calm mood. He cooly walked up to the teen and put on one of his famous mocking smirks, ready to throw out some witty comment at the blonde's expense. "Dogs shouldn't play in the street you know. You might get hit by a car. And I'de hate to be the one to hit you. It might scuff the paint."

Joey wanted to make one of his hot retorts that usually got a heated arguement going, but right now wasn't the time. He really didn't feel like dealing with this egotistical jerk today. He had a friend to save.

"Shut it Kaiba! I don't have time for you right now! I gotta find Yugi!" Joey growled. "Thats interesting. I've heard of a dog running away from it's master, but never the other way round." Kaiba scoffed. "Keep up the insults and I'll run my fist right down yer throat!" Joey threatened.

The blonde turned away angrily, and was about to run off when he had a thought. _Wait a second...Kaiba has the most advanced technological thingies in Domino. Maybe he could help me find Yugi! _He shook his head._ No! What am I thinking? Getting help from Kaiba? No way! But...Yugi..what other way can I find him? What other choice do I have? Oh man, this won't be fun..._

Joey turned back to the CEO, looking very irritaited with what he had to do. He took a deep breath and tried to get his voice to sound as nice as possible. "Kaiba, I need yer help."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" he asked. Joey hated repeating this. "I need yer help to find Yugi." he said. The brunette looked slightly surprised, then amused. "And what makes you think I'd be willing to help you?" he asked. At this moment, the blonde felt like picking Kaiba up by the collar and demanding he help, but he had to keep his cool if he was going to get what he wanted. "Kaiba, please." Oh how it pained him to say 'please' to that guy. "I need yer help. You're the only one with the kind of technological whatcha-ma-whozits that can find Yugi."

"Hm...I don't know Wheeler. I just don't think it's worth my time." Kaiba said, edging him on. "Look Kaiba! You helped Yugi find Kutana, so why won't you help me?" Joey shouted. _Oh, wait. Kaiba probably dosen't remember that...Kiko and Sumi erased almost everyone's memory._

"And how do you know about that? I suppose Yugi told you, didn't he? I told him not to tell anyone that I helped him!" Kaiba said, looking annoyed that his apathetic, I-don't-help-anyone-but-me, reputation had been ruined. Joey looked surprised that Kaiba accually remembered that. Did it mean something? Eh, probably not.

The blonde teen sighed. "Kaiba, will you help me or not?" The brunette looked at Joey, as if deciding if he would help or if he would just let the guy handle his own problems. Finally, he sighed and gave in. "Fine. I'll help. But only because if I don't, you'll just waste more of my time."

_Yeeess! _Joey smiled in victory. "Alright, get in the car. We'll discuss this during our ride to the lab." Kaiba said, getting back in his limo. Joey walked over to the door and slid in. He closed the door and the car drove off. He felt incredibly uncomfortable sitting next to Seto Kaiba. They were enemies on so many levels. And yet here he was asking the guy for help. Kaiba would never let him live this down.

* * *

Somewhere in Domino, Yugi walked sadly through the streets. He felt empty now. He was in distress and dismay, yet no one could help him. Anyone who would was lying unconcious in a hospital bed. He sighed. This way of thinking only made him sink deeper into the hole of depression. 

With all he could be thinking about: His grandpa, his enemy, the way he had destroyed everyone's lives, and his friends, he found himself constantly drifting back to thoughts of one friend in particular. His best friend, Joey Wheeler.

The minute he had found Joey in the streets, he just took off. He really should have brought him to the hospital. The guy was totally helpless. Yugi didn't want to imagine what could happen. But something else kept nagging at him. In the back of his head, he felt as if he should stay. Like not all was as it seemed. That there was still hope here.

He shook his head. All hope died the second his friends and grandpa had fallen victim to his unknown enemy. He was about to change his thoughts to where he was going, when a certain pharaoh jumped in.

**Aibou!** Yami yelled.

_Oh, hey Yami. _Yugi said, unenthusiasticly.

**What do you think you're doing?**

_Running away._

**You can't do this! Everyone needs you here!**

_Oh please. Everyone needs me here like they need a hole drilled in their head._

**Light, don't leave! If you go off alone, you won't be safe! The person after us is much more likely to catch us when we're alone.**

_I'm already alone Yami. Besides, if I get caught, maybe the guy after us will let our friends go._

**When has that ever happened?**

_Never, but I figure there's a first time for everything. _Yugi half joked.

**This is serious! Yugi, you could get killed!**

_Well, then that's my loss._

**Yugi!**

Yugi sighed again. _Besides Yami...I'm already dead inside._

Yugi blocked off Yami's communication by closing off his mental link with him. He would reopen it of course. But only when they were far enough away that Yami couldn't bring him back.

The duelist looked around to see exactly where he was at this point. He noticed himself right outside the famous KaibaCorp building. He found it slightly ironic that he should pass by on his way out of town. Looking at the place from afar, he noticed something that made him stop dead in his tracks.

He peered in the glass door of the building from where he stood. He could barely see, but he could have sworn he saw a blonde haired teenager following Seto Kaiba. _No way...could that be...was that..._ He slowly filled with a sense of hope. _Is that Joey? _But as soon as his hope had come, his doubt shattered it. He frowned and turned away. _No...it couldn't be him. I saw him unconcious with my own two eyes. He's out there, lying around somewhere. Not in KaibaCorp! Even if he were okay, Joey would never go see Kaiba. At least not of his own free will. No...it must have been an employee or something._

He decided that this was the answer and he continued off. He noticed his stomach rumbling. He was hungry, odd as it was at a time like this. He remembered that there was a burger joint near the Domino train station. He thought that the train might be a good way to leave the city. He could eat at the burger place and then buy a train ticket, then take off. Sure. That'd work.

He made his way to the station, unaware of the figure still following him. Though something was odd, when the figure stopped infront of the KaibaCorp building.

* * *

Takesha happened to catch a glimpse of Joey and Kaiba in the KaibaCorp building. He cursed under his breath. That stupid blonde really had survived. And now he had teamed up with the one person who had the most advanced technology in Domino, if not the world. At this rate, his plan might just be ruined. And that would mean all his careful time and effort went down the drain. 

He wasn't about to let that happen. He spent too much energy on this for it to be messed up by some stupid teenager. In order to make sure the boy couldn't get help, he'd have to cut off his resources. Namely, one source, who's technology could prove to be a real thorn in his side.

Seto Kaiba.

* * *

Joey barely noticed when the car came to a hault in front of Kaiba's company building. Mokuba, who had been sitting on the other side of Kaiba and was pretty much unnoticed, had to poke him a few times to get his attention. Once out of the limo, he reluctantly followed the two brothers into the building. As fate would have it, Yugi happened to pass by when Joey and the Kaibas stepped onto the elevator. 

"So Wheeler, do you have any idea where Yugi might be headed?" Kaiba asked. He actually seemed to say it in a possibly, almost, kinda nice way. Then again, this was Seto Kaiba. Joey thought for a moment, trying to consider the possibilities. _Maybe the airport. No...a ticket would cost too much unless he had been saving money. Maybe a taxi...but again, it would cost too much money to get out of the city. A bus? Huh...I don't know if they go outside the city or not. Dang it, this is driving me crazy!_

The blonde's silence was enough of an answer. "I'll take that as a no." Kaiba said. Mokuba looked up at his brother. "So what are we going to do Seto?" he asked innocently. Kaiba shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care. I'm just doing this to get the mutt out of my hair." he replied coldly.

Mokuba suddenly looked like he thought of something. "Hey Joey, do you know if Yugi had his deck with him?" the raven haired boy asked. The blonde looked at Mokuba, then thought for a second. "Probably. Yugi takes that thing everywhere." he answered. Mokuba looked back to his brother. "Seto, maybe you could try to track the microchips in his cards!"

The taller Kaiba looked at his brother, impressed that he could come up with that idea. He returned to staring off into space and sighed. "Whatever," was his simple response. He didn't take much interest. At least, he didn't show that he did.

Joey smiled hopefully. "Hey, could that work?" he asked. "It's worth a shot I guess. Anything to make you leave me alone." The brunette replied. At the time, Joey was trying desperately to keep himself from punching the CEO for acting so smug and arrogant at a time like this. As he felt himself losing control over his body, the elevator door opened.

Kaiba stepped out of the elevator with Mokuba and Joey. He felt it was important that he annouce where they were. "Here we are. This is my lab. I'm not big on fancy names so I just call it..." "The technology room." Joey finished his sentence. The brunette wondered how the blonde knew that, but figured Yugi must have told him.

"Yes, well. Follow me." he said, leading them in a direction. Soon they came upon a large computer screen. "This," Kaiba presented, "is what we'll use to find Yugi's cards." Joey stared in awe. Well, awe followed by boredom and total lack of interest after the first ten seconds. "So...what do we do?" he asked. Kaiba rolled his eyes at the blonde's impatientness and lack of appreciation for truely amazing technology. Then again, this was a guy with the I.Q. of a walnut. At least, that's what Kaiba thought.

Mokuba could tell how annoyed his brother was getting. He decided to offer an explaination, seeing as how he knew all his brother's equipment quite well. "Well, we just have to get the name of one of Yugi's cards. Then this computer can track where they are, within a certain area." Joey sort of understood, but hadn't been paying alot of attention. "Huh?" he asked, reinforcing the idea that a ten-year-old was smarter than himself. Though, in most cases, this certainly wasn't true. Joey could be really smart and could understand all sorts of complicated things...when he felt like it.

Mokuba sighed and tried dumbing his statement down. "This thing will locate any holder of one specific card in the city."

"Oh." Joey said, finally understanding. Mokuba groaned, feeling like he couldn't take much more of this stupidity. "So what's a rare card that Yugi has, that not many people have?" The young Kaiba asked. Joey thought for a moment. "Oh! My Red Eyes! Yugi still has my dragon card." he answered. Joey had remembered that Yugi still kept his Red Eyes Black Dragon card. They were lucky that no one stole it when it was left in the graveyard after Joey's funeral (a/n: see Friendship Beyond the Grave chapter 6 for details). Yugi had wanted to give it back to him, but Joey insisted that Yugi keep it. So that, if they ever got torn apart again, he'd always have a piece of Joey with him. That sounded really mushy now that he thought about it.

"That'll work." Kaiba said, already typing away at the keyboard. Soon, a large map of the city came up on the screen. On the side of the map was a picture of the Red Eyes Black Dragon, and it's status. Below that was a list of people, in the city, who had the card with them. Only one name came up, and it was Yugi Mutou.

Joey smiled at the knowledge that he was right. Now he looked to the map, trying to figure out what the computer was doing. A small red dot stood out on the dull, grayish map. It was moving. "Hey, is that Yugi?" the blonde asked, pointing to the dot. "No, it's a flying cat." Kaiba said sarcastically. "Of course it's Yugi you dolt!"

Joey glared at the CEO, then looked back to the screen. The dot was moving rather slowly. Which was probably good, so Joey could catch up with him. And that meant he wasn't in a car. Though that did make him defenseless if the evil guy that was after him decided to jump him. The dot seemed to be headed north of the KaibaCorp building. The teen thought of what could be over that way. Something that would get him out of town.

The dot suddenly stopped moving. Joey blinked and looked at Kaiba. "What happened? The computer freeze?" he asked. Kaiba groaned and shook his head. "No, Yugi stopped moving." he said, in an irritated tone. The blonde looked back to the screen curiously. "Well, where did he stop?" he asked. Kaiba typed on the keyboard, causing different pictures and information to pop up on the screen. "Looks like he stopped at a restaraunt." the brunette answered. Joey thought for a minute. There were quite a few restaraunts in the city. "Is it anywhere near a landmark or something? Anything I could recognize?"

Kaiba typed some more. He got a smaller map, but more detailed, and focused on the area around Yugi's stop. "Looks like it's near the train station." "So he must be planning on taking the train then." Joey thought out loud. _Good. The train usually takes some time anyway. And since Yugi stopped, I have a better chance of catching him._

Joey suddenly started for the elevator. Mokuba noticed him leaving. "Where are you going?" he asked. The blonde turned to the two brothers. "Going to find Yugi!" he answered simply. Then he turned back and ran to the elevator door. Just as he entered it, he shouted back, "I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but thanks Kaiba!" He waved and the door closed. Kaiba watched as the elevator went down. He shrugged and muttered, "Whatever."

* * *

Moments later, Kaiba was on his way to his office. All this annoying commotion with Wheeler had taken away precious work time. And it annoyed him to no end to help out that mutt. Especially when it concerned Yugi, of all people. When were those idiots going to learn? He wasn't their friend. So they should stop asking him for help. There was nothing he hated more than Yugi saying they were pals. Friendship was for losers who couldn't do anything themselves. 

The brunette let out an annoyed sigh as he made his way to the office door. At least now he could get back to his work. He placed his hand on the door knob, when he suddenly felt something odd. A strange feeling washed over him. Telling him that something wasn't right in the room he was about to enter. But, being Kaiba, he shook the feeling off and opened the door, stepping inside.

It wasn't until he was already inside that he noticed something out of the ordinary. The entire room was engulfed in a black cloud. Smoke from a fire was his first idea, but he didn't smell anything burning. His next conclusion was that maybe something really wasn't right...but, being Kaiba, he pushed the idea out of his head and thought of it as a stupid prank or something. Perhaps a smokebomb set off by a rebelious employee. Or, an ex-employee now.

The CEO turned to get out of the room, when he noticed that he could no longer see the door. The smoke seemed to be blinding him from his surroundings. He quickly made his way toward where the door had been, only to find himself at an invisible wall. Great. This is just what he needed. More distractions.

"This is ridiculous. Whoever's responsible for this will be losing a head when I find them!" the brunette threatened. "Oh, I don't think so Kaiba..." echoed a dark voice. Kaiba turned to see who had spoken. No one was there. "Who are you? Are you the one who did this? Answer me!" he yelled into the darkness.

"How about you answer _me_. What are you afraid of Seto Kaiba?" the voice asked. Kaiba looked annoyed and angry. "Hmph. I fear nothing." he replied cooly. The voice chuckled slightly. "Really? Because your mind tells me otherwise." "And what is that suppose to mean?" Kaiba asked. "It means," answered the voice, "that you are about to be in alot of trouble."

Kaiba was trying to make sense of this time wasting situation, when he saw a pair of wicked looking eyes in the dark distance. They looked...familiar. He knew he had seen those eyes somewhere before. But where? They looked like something from a long time ago. Who's eyes were those? Dark, cruel, unforgiving, even evil. Then it hit him. Those eyes. Those horrifying eyes that haunted him as a child. The eyes of a man whom he never expected, or wanted, to see for the rest of his life and then some.

They were the cold, unmerciful eyes of Gozaburo Kaiba.

* * *

MP: Ha ha! A cliff hanger! Eheh...sorry. You know, my original idea for Kaiba's fear was going to be funny. It involved friendship and fluffy pink bunnies . But I figured that Kaiba fans wouldn't like that too much. So here's a more rational fear. Anyway, keep checking back for updates. See you soon! Oh, and don't forget to Review!

* * *

**Preview for Chapter 8**

"You aren't getting this company!" Kaiba yelled. "Who said I wanted the company?" Gozaburo said slyly. The young Kaiba looked at the older man with a confused expression. "What? Then what do you want?" he asked. "Revenge." The man replied simply. "But not by taking the company. Instead, I'm taking your life!"

Before Kaiba could have another thought, a loud stomping sound was heard. Then a large figure was seen, slowly coming into view. It looked like a big monster of some sort. As it got closer, it seemed to be a dragon-like creature. The brunette's eyes widened. That was no ordinary monster. That was his Blue Eyes White Dragon!

"What's going on? Why is my dragon here?" Kaiba exclaimed. He instictively took a step back, staring up at the massive beast before him. It was his favorite, and most loyal creature. But it didn't look too happy with him right now. "Simple," Gozaburo said with a smirk, "it's here to destroy you."


	8. No Fear?

MP: Welcome once again readers. It's chapter eight! Sigh. To think. Only a few more chapters and it'll be over. Well, might aswell make the most of the time left in this story. So, on to chapter eight. Enjoy...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**

* * *

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**Seal of Fears**

**_Chapter 8_**

* * *

They were the cold, unmerciful eyes of Gozaburo Kaiba.

Kaiba couldn't help but gasp at the realization. "It..it can't be." he stuttered. "Oh, but it is." said the all too familiar voice of the brunette's step-father. He slowly stepped out of the shadows to reveal that it was, indeed, the infamous Gozaburo himself. "Hello Seto. Long time no see, my son."

The brunette looked stunned, but managed to speak. "I'm not your son! And what are you doing here? You're dead! Noah's virus crashed your system! How are you still alive?" Gozaburo chuckled. "Seto, Seto, Seto. Haven't you figured out the fact that nothing can stop me from getting my revenge? Not even death!"

"You aren't getting this company!" Kaiba yelled. "Who said I wanted the company?" Gozaburo said slyly. The young Kaiba looked at the older man with a confused expression. "What? Then what do you want?" he asked. "Revenge." The man replied simply. "But not by taking the company. Instead, I'm taking your life!"

Before Kaiba could have another thought, a loud stomping sound was heard. Then a large figure was seen, slowly coming into view. It looked like a big monster of some sort. As it got closer, it seemed to be a dragon-like creature. The brunette's eyes widened. That was no ordinary monster. That was his Blue Eyes White Dragon!

"What's going on? Why is my dragon here?" Kaiba exclaimed. He instictively took a step back, staring up at the massive beast before him. It was his favorite, and most loyal creature. But it didn't look too happy with him right now. "Simple," Gozaburo said with a smirk, "it's here to destroy you."

"W-what?" Kaiba stepped backwards again. He could feel the dragon's breath against his face. How could this be happening? The Blue Eyes was a card. Not a real monster. And how was Gozaburo here? Wasn't he dead? None of this made any sense.

"Are you scared Seto? Being trapped like a rat. Staring down your own creature." Gozaburo said smuggly. The dragon growled and trashed about impatiently. The brunette didn't know what he could do at this point. Here he was, trapped in who knows where, facing his most loyal monster and his dead step father. Not the best situation he'd ever been in.

"So Seto...can you feel the fear rising inside you?" the old man asked. "I fear nothing!" Kaiba snapped. The elder Kaiba laughed wickedly. "We'll see about that. Blue Eyes attack!" The dragon opened it's mouth. A blue ball of energy grew from it's throat, electricity beginning to spill from it's mouth.

For the first time in his life, the young CEO felt an overwhelming sense of fear for himself. Was this it? Was he going to die? Why was he so scared? He was Seto Kaiba. He wasn't suppose to be afraid of anything.

The beast let out a growl as it released the blast. It was aimed directly at it's former master. The brunette closed his eyes and braced for the impact. Just as he felt the blast getting close, he heard a familiar voice.

"SETO!"

That voice. He knew it. He heard it everyday. It was the voice of his younger brother. "Mokuba?" Kaiba's eyes shot open. Before he could blink, the blast hit. But it didn't hit him. It hit a figure infront of him. A small body, with long raven black hair. "MOKUBA!"

In the blink of an eye, the blast seemed to disappear. Before the older brother could react, the younger fell to his knees. "Mokuba!" Kaiba shouted. He bent down to his brother. He reached a hand out to him. But before he could touch the boy, Mokuba burst into tiny peices. Like when the holographic monsters were destroyed. The peices vanished before his eyes. All that was left was his brother's soft whisper, that echoed through the air. "...Seto..."

The teen stared off into space, not believing what happened. He saw it, but didn't want it to be true. His younger brother, the one person he cared about in the whole world, was gone. For a second, he could feel hot tears building in his eyes.

But the greif was short-lived, as Gozaburo's dark voice peirced the silence in the air. "That stupid brat. He always did get in my way." he said annoyed. Kaiba shot a glare at the old man. He could feel his rage boiling. He stood up and clentched his fists. "Gozaburo..." he growled.

"Oh, what's the matter Seto? Are you sad about losing that little pest you call a brother?" The elder Kaiba said in a taunting voice, "Don't worry. You'll be joining him soon enough. Blue Eyes, attack again!" Once again, the dragon opened it's mouth, revealing a large ball of energy building up. "Get ready, Seto. To be destroyed by your fears."

"I told you, old man! I fear nothing!" Kaiba retorted angrily. "We'll see about that. Attack!" Gozaburo ordered. The Blue Eyes White Dragon launched it's attack. The blast shot toward the brunette infront of it. Kaiba stood his ground. The attack hit dead on, engulfing the teen in white light.

Gozaburo cackled. "You fool! Everyone fears something. And in the end, their fear is what kills them!" As the smoke cleared, the man looked at the scene before him with a smirk on his face. The smile quickly disappeared as he saw Kaiba, standing on his feet, perfectly unharmed. "What! How could you survive that?" he asked, shocked. It was Kaiba's turn to wear the smug grin. "Because, Gozaburo. I'm not afraid of you anymore."

Gozaburo took a few steps back, looking stunned and frightened. Kaiba stretched his arm out, pointing at the man. "I've gotten over your pathetic attempts at intimidation. Blue Eyes White Dragon, it's time to serve your true master. Attack, White Lightning!"

The dragon turned to Gozaburo, who was looking like he might jump out of his skin in terror right now. It's massive jaw opened, and a powerful burst of energy shot out. Before he could react, the man was hit with the force of a cannon. He let out a scream before disappearing in the white light.

"I-Impossible!" Gozaburo's voice echoed through the darkness, "You can't conquer your fears! Your fear owns you!"

As the light from the attack faded, so did the scene around the teen. The seemingly endless darkness disappeared. The large dragon shattered to bits. In a second, the office room was back to normal.

"How many times do I have to tell people?" Kaiba said, "I fear nothing."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. The CEO turned to see Mokuba opening the door, peeking inside. "Seto? Everything okay in here? I thought I heard yelling." the younger brother said, concern in his voice. Kaiba smirked. So that was all just a trick afterall. Gozaburo wasn't really there. Neither was the Blue Eyes. And Mokuba was unharmed. It was all just some stupid mind game. As always.

"No Mokuba. Everything's fine."

* * *

Takesha cursed under his breath. Another one got away. These stupid teenagers were actually able to conquer their fears. Well, it didn't matter. As long as he got to the pharaoh and his vessel before that blonde kid did, he'd succeed. Yugi Mutou was a weakling. It was a mystery to him why the pharaoh would pick someone so wimpy and inferior to control, but it just made things easier.

Without his little friends the boy didn't stand a chance. And Takesha didn't intend to give him one.

* * *

Yugi was still walking. He was close to the burger joint. He could see it up ahead. And just beyond that was the Domino Train Station. Soon, he'd be on one of those trains, and out of the city. He felt guilty for leaving everyone on such short notice. But it was for the best. He hoped.

"yugi...oh yugi..." a whisper rang through Yugi's head. He stopped and looked around. Where had that sound come from? Was someone calling him? No one was there. He shrugged and continued down the street. "..yugi..." the voice called again. The duelist stopped again. He knew he heard someone calling him that time. He looked around once more. No one was there. But someone was talking to him.

"Yugi...Yugi..." the voice called again. This time louder. Yugi turned to see an alley near by. The voice seemed to be coming from in there. Common sense and a life time of bad experiences with dark allies told him to just keep walking. But his curiousity edged him forward, into the shadows.

As he journied further in, he looked around for the person who had been calling him. "Hello? Is anybody here?" he asked. No one answered. The eerie silence made him want to turn back and run out of there as fast as he could. But he just couldn't go. Something was pulling him further into this place. His feet just kept moving.

**Aibou! You must get out of here! **Yami's voice came out suddenly.

The break of silence caused Yugi to jump slightly.

_Yami? What's wrong?_

**Listen to me. I sense a dark power here. You must leave immediately!**

Yugi agreed with him. Even he could sense something wrong here. He had to get out. He turned around and started running toward the entrance to the alley. He was almost there when he saw a blood red ring appear around him. It had a ten pointed star in the middle. It looked like a big version of the markings on his friend's hands.

Dark clouds began to form. They made a sort of wall around him. The teen's eyes went wide in terror. This wasn't good. He dashed toward where the entrance was, only to meet a barrier. "What's going on?" he shouted. A voice cackled. Footsteps could be heard behind him.

Yugi turned around. "Who's there?" he asked, fear in his voice. A figure appeared from the shadows. It was a tall man in a black cloak. "Hello little Yugi. It's good to finally meet you." he said in a dark voice. Yugi got a determinded look. "Who are you? What's going on?" he questioned.

"My name is Takesha. Holder of the Millenium Eyepatch. And as for what's going on, the same thing that went on with your pathetic friends." Yugi's eyes widened. "My friends? So you're the one who attacked them!" he concluded. Takesha smirked. "Sort of. Technically I simply trapped them. Their own fears were what attacked them."

Amethyst eyes narrowed into an angry glare. "Why? Why did you hurt them? They never did anything to you! So why did you go after them when it was me you want?" "Because," the green eyed man said flatly, "I needed a way to get to you where it hurts the most. In your heart." The teen felt anger rising in him. "That's it? You wanted to hurt me so you hurt them. You're the lowest of the low!" he yelled. "That may be, but I'll do anything to get what I want." the elder man stated.

Yugi lowered his head. A moment of guilt and sorrow came over him. "So it's true. They were hurt because of me." he said solemly. Tears builty up in his eyes. "Grandpa...Serenity...Tea...Tristan...Joey. They were all hurt because they know me." "That's right." Takesha said smuggly. "They all suffered because of you. And now, you're about to suffer their same fate."

* * *

Joey ran as fast as he could down the streets of Domino City. He prayed that he wasn't too late. He hoped that his friend was safe. And that he hadn't already left. If Yugi left Domino, then Joey didn't know what he'd do. It was clear that his shorter friend didn't know what he was up against. This was serious. If he didn't find his companion soon, all hope would be lost.

The blonde kept going. He had to hurry. There was no time to spare. He would have run right past his target if he hadn't caught sight of a large dark cloud out of the corner of his eye. He stopped dead in his tracks. That cloud. It looked just like the one he had been in. Did that mean that, Yugi...? He rushed over and banged on the barrier. "Yugi! Yugi! Yugi, are you in there? Yugi!" he shouted. No response. The cloud was already set. Yugi was already trapped. And there was no way Joey could get to him.

He had arrived too late.

* * *

MP: And there you have it. Chapter eight. The situation is looking worse for Yugi and Joey. Hope you all enjoyed the little Kaiba peice though. Anyway, better get going. See you all next chapter! And don't forget to Review!

* * *

**Preview for Chapter 9**

**Aibou! What's going on?**

Yami! Yami, I think I found the guy who attacked our friends.

**What? Are you sure?**

Yeah. He confessed himself.

**I do sense the same evil from before. Where are you now? Are you safe?**

I don't think so. I'm in the alley still, and there's this big dark cloud. But I don't see the guy anywhere.

Yugi was still distracted by the conversation when a loud hissing sound was heard. The teen blinked and looked around, trying to find it's sorce. The sound got louder. Closer. What was it? It sounded familiar. It grew louder still. Wait. That sound. It sounded just like-

There was a sudden hiss and something lept from the shadows. It jumped at Yugi. Who somehow avoided it. The creature was a long green snake. It's head crashed into the ground just feet from where the teen. It lifted it's head and looked around with it's large yellow eyes. This was insane. That thing was gigantic. It looked at Yugi and hissed.

Yami...

**What is it?**

I'm gonna go ahead and say that I'm definately not safe.


	9. Reunion in the Shadows

MP: FINALLY! Oh man. How long have I been out of this place? Wow! I'm finally back! Yay! I am SO SORRY that it's taken this long to update. I got a severe case of writers block for a while. And, of course, my computer hates me. So my first attempt at this chapter were deleted and I had to re-type it all over...Well! No matter! Cause it's here now. Whee! Okay, well, I'm sure you're anxious to read this, so go right ahead. Thank you for being so patient. Well, here's the long awaited Chapter 9. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

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**Seal of Fears**

_**Chapter 9**_

* * *

Yugi returned from his brief guilt trip. "What is that suppose to mean?" he asked, looking up. But there was no one there. Only the silent darkness. "Wha? Where'd he go?" The boy looked around, trying to spot the fiend.

**Aibou! What's going on?**

_Yami! I think I found the guy who attacked our friends._

**What? Are you sure?**

_Yeah. He confessed himself._

**I do sense the same evil from before. Where are you now? Are you safe?**

_I don't think so. I'm in the alley still, and there's this big dark cloud. But I don't see the guy anywhere._

Yugi was still distracted by the conversation when a loud hissing sound was heard. The teen blinked and looked around, trying to find it's sorce. The sound got louder. Closer. What was it? It sounded familiar. It grew louder still. Wait. That sound. It sounded just like-

There was a sudden hiss and something lept from the shadows. It jumped at Yugi. Who somehow avoided it. The creature was a long green snake. It's head crashed into the ground just feet from the teen. It lifted it's head and looked around with it's large yellow eyes. This was insane. That thing was gigantic. It looked at Yugi and hissed.

_Yami..._

**What is it?**

_I'm gonna go ahead and say that I'm definately not safe._

The snake lunged at him once again. Although he wasn't quite sure how, he got out of the way in time. He stared at the snake, fear in his eyes. "This is bad." he said to himself. The serpent hissed and made a third attempt. This time, Yugi jumped out of the way, but not quite far enough. A small part of the fang caught him, digging into his leg. The teen screamed in pain. He fell back and clutched his leg, blood pouring from the new wound.

**YUGI! That's it, I'm taking over!**

_Now way! I don't want you getting hurt too!_

**I won't let you get killed!**

_I'm not gonna let you get killed either!_

While the two argued, the snake got up again. Tired of chasing down it's meal, it snuck up quietly. It lifted it's head up into the air and opened it's mouth, showing off it's giant fangs.

It wanted to take care of this here and now. It roseuphigh and prepared to come down on the small boy as hard as it could. Finally, the snake let out a loud hiss and drove down toward it's prey.

**Look out!**

_Huh? What?_

Yugi looked behind him to see the snake launch it's head at him. He froze for a second, but his reflexes were quick enough. He tried to get up and throw himself away from the danger. Seconds later, the head slammed into the ground and a loud crashing was heard. Small chunks of pavement and streams of blood flew everywhere. And somewhere in the sudden chaos, Yugi screamed in pain.

* * *

"Yugi! YUGI!" Joey continued to pound on the barrier. His hands were sore and his knuckles were beginning to bleed. "Yugi!" He sank to his knees, trying to catch his breath. He couldn't be too late. There was no way this could happen. He growled and punched the ground in anger.

"Darn it. I wasn't fast enough. I couldn't help him!" He felt guilt and hatred rising in him. "I let him down!" The blonde felt tears filling his eyes. Was it completely hopeless? Was there no way to stop this? Had the bad guy finally won?

A sudden scream jerked him out of his thoughts. He looked at the barrier. _Dat sounded like Yugi!_ He quickly got up and tried to break the wall once again. With little success. But he wasn't about to give up yet. He was determined to get in there and help. No matter what.

Joey took a few steps back. He stood about ten feet away from the only thing separating him and his best friend. He took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind. Throwing caution, and common sense, to the wind, he suddely ran forward. Straight at the barrier.

He didn't think of what would happen if this didn't work. Though it'd most likely result in a very bad headache. He thought only of getting through. To cross to the other side. To find Yugi. That was all that mattered right now. Without entirely realizing it, a light outlined him, as he passed through, and was engulfed by the darkness.

* * *

Yugi opened his eyes. In a second his eyes widened to the size of saucers. He would have screamed in horror if it weren't for the fact that he could taste his breakfast coming back up.

In front of him was a gruesome sight. The snake didn't look too much like a snake anymore. It's long body lay lifeless in a heap. It's head was unrecognizable. At least, what was left of it's head. The skull had rammed into the pavement so hard that it had been crushed by the force. Blood and brains were scattered all over. _Okay, time to look away now._

Feeling a sharp pain in his arm, Yugi was actually relieved to concentrate on something other than the suicidal serpent. He looked to his right arm, seeing that there was a bleeding gash. He clutched it with his other arm, gritting his teeth. This just wasn't his day.

**Aibou! **

Yami was there again. No doubt worried as heck about his injured light.

**Look at you! You're bleeding all over! Let me take over, I can handle those cuts.**

_What makes you think I can't? I don't need protecting. I'm fine, Yami. _

**But--**

_I don't want you hurt! So the answer is no!_

Deciding to end the conversation, Yugi got up and looked around. He tried to avoid staring at the bloody scene, but found his eyes drawn to it the more he resisted. He had to find some way out of here. And some way to stop his wounds from bleeding so much.

He sighed, wondering if this was it. If maybe it was hopeless. His friends and family were gone. He didn't want Yami hurt, and he was trapped. It just seemed pointless to fight anymore. Things would only get worse if he continued to rebel against the forces of evil. It was times like this when he desperately wanted one of Tea's friendship speeches. Anything to make him feel better. He sighed. _I wish that my friends were here..._

As if on cue, a certain light appeared in the corner of his eye. Yugi looked at the dark wall, his eyes widening at the sight of the shinning figure taking form. It turned into the shape of a human. Not just any human. The light disappeared and the short teen smiled, hope filling his eyes once again.

"JOEY!" The blonde teen opened his eyes. He had half expected to run into the black wall. Once he realized where exactlyhe was, he grinned victoriously. It had worked! His eyes landed on Yugi, who looked like he was about to start jumping up and down in excitement.

Before either knew what happened, they were locked in a hug. (a/n: Brotherly type of hug. This isn't Yaoi!) "Joey! You're alright! I thought you got attacked!" Yugi yelled in delight. "I was! But man, I was worried like heck about you! What were you thinkin, running away?" Joey yelled back. "Yeah...sorry...I guess I got a little carried away..." Yugi said, embarassed. "A little?" Joey responded, half mocking him. "I know, I know." The shorter teen laughed uneasily.

Joey suddenly noticed red liquid running down the teen's arm. His eyes widened. "Yugi! Your arm!" Yugi looked at his right arm, remembering the injury. "Oh yeah." He grabbed it again, trying to keep too much blood from escaping his body. The blonde really started to panic when he spotted the wound on his leg. "What the heck happened to you!" he asked, concerned. The shorter teen pointed at what used to be a large snake. "That did."

The taller boy felt his stomach do a back flip and jump into his throat. He had to swallow it back down. Turning away from the scene, he looked back at Yugi. He decided to concentrate on a way to fix his friend up. At least until they could get out of here.

Remembering that he happened to be wearing a jacket, he usually seemed to be, he quickly took it off. He ripped the sleeves and made some temporary bandages. "Here we go! This should hold ya until we can get outta here." He grabbed Yugi's arm and started bandaging it.

Yugi looked at the blonde slightly surprised. He didn't know that Joey could be so resorceful. Or that he could bandage so well with a strip of jacket sleeve. "Joey...you don't have to do that. That's your favorite jacket. I don't want you to ruin it on my account." Joey looked at him like he was crazy. "Are you kiddin me Yugi?" He laughed lightly. "Pal, this may be my favorite jacket, but you're my favorite friend."

Yugi blinked. Wow, Joey really was spending a lot of time around Tea and her friendship speeches. He smiled. Well, at least those speeches always made him feel better.

"There," Joey said finishing up, "how's that?" Yugi looked at his arm. The make-shift bandage was stained with blood, but it did ease the pain a little. "Much better. Thanks, Joey." The blonde smiled slightly. "Alright, now I'll just fix up dat leg and we can figure out a way outta here." The multi-colored haired teen nodded in agreement.

The shorter boy sat down while the taller one worked carefully on his leg wound. It stung every now and then, but he got used to it. He wondered to himself if they really would get out. He shook the doubt out of his head. Of course they would. As long as they were together, no bad-guy-of-the-month with some stupid eyepatch was going to stop them.

Yugi yawned. He felt tired after all he'd been through today. He sure could use a rest. But he didn't want to take a nap. Not while their lives were in danger. Though, being exhausted would probably slow them down. He tried to stay peppy and energized, but found it increasingly difficult. With the silent promise to himself that they would re-open,his eyes closed for only a second. It only took half that long for him to fall asleep.

As Joey was just finishing up, Yugi's body began to glow and change. This caused the blonde to pull away in surprise. When the glow faded, the short teen opened his eyes to reveal intense crimson orbs. Yami had taken over once again.

The pharaoh rubbed his head. "Ah. It's about time Aibou fell asleep. I was worried he'd actually try to make it through all of this on his own." Joey blinked, just now realizing who was speaking. "Hey Yami. Taking over for Yugi?" Yami nodded at Joey. "Yes, he's hurt and I don't want him to risk injuring himself further." "That's nice of you." the blonde said with a small smile. "Yes, well, I wish I could have taken over earlier. Then maybe we could have avoided this."

Joey shrugged. "Eh, who's ta say. Knowing our luck, you probably woulda ended up in the same situation. Just somewhere else." "Heh. I suppose you're right." Yami said. "Oh, by the way, Joey. Good to see you're alright." He smiled. The blonde smiled back. "Good to see you guys are alright too."

Without warning, a dark voice echoed through the air. "Aww...isn't that nice. The blonde mongrel and the pharaoh and his host, all back together again." Yami and Joey looked around immediatly. "Takesha! Where are you? Show yourself!" the pharaoh demanded.

Takesha's voice chuckled. "Ah Pharaoh. Always so impatient. Why don't you just stick around? I'm sure that you and your dog will enjoy my little game." Yami stood up and glared into darkness. "Let us out of here now! And release our friends from whatever spell you have them under!" "Now now, Pharaoh. That's not very polite. You didn't even say please. And besides, when does that ever work?" "He's got a point you know." Joey commented. "Joey, please don't agree with the enemy." Yami said.

"Since you two seem so anxious, I'll go ahead and start the next round for you. You may have been able to defeat the Wheeler girl's fear, but let's see how you handle your grandfather's!"

"What? My sister? Why you lousy--I oughta!" Joey ran forward in anger, not entirely sure where he was headed. "Joey, wait!" Yami took off after him. Why did he always have to run away in a blind rage like that? The blonde finally stopped when he realized he couldn't see and that he was lost. Still wanting more than anything to tear Takesha to shreds, he yelled at the dark sky. "Hey! Where are you, huh? Come out and fight like a man!" Takesha replied in a grim voice, "Why fight like a man? When you can fight like a monster."

"What the heck is that suppose to mean, exactly?" Joey asked. There was no response. He growled. "Darn it! Get down here and fight me!" He felt like he wanted to punch the guy's face in. And, given the chance, he probably would. He looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the criminal. His eyes suddenly fell upon something on the ground.

Curiousity over-taking him, he walked over and picked it up. His eyes widened. It was a Duel Monsters card. And not just any card. But a certain dragon friend of his. "Red-Eyes!" He looked it over. _How did this get here? _he wondered. That's when the dragon's eyes flashed red.

* * *

Yami was still running, trying to catch up with his friend. How on earth did he keep managing to lose him? They were in the same small alleyway and he still couldn't fiind him. Darn that Joey and his long legs. And darn his own height. The fact that he was vertically challenged didn't exactly help him to keep up with the short tempered teenager.

Before he was able to lament silently any further, he heard a loud scream. "Oh no. Please don't tell me..." That definately sounded like Joey. He pushed himself to go faster. He had already been too late for his blonde friend once before, he didn't want it to happen again. Well, really Yugi was the one who was late. But the pharaoh didn't bother with technicalities.

He finally had to stop running. Why? Because there was a stream of fire that burst out right infront of him, that's why. "Woah! What on earth?" He looked in the direction the fire seemed to be coming from. Hiscrimson eyes widened when he saw it's source. A giant Red-Eyes Black Dragon was flying around, screeching and spitting fire. The egyptian was off in a fascinated daze until he heard a certain companion yelling.

He blinked and looked around. "Joey?" He noticed a figure with a shaggy blonde top. It was running away while being chased by the dragon. "Joey!" Yami ran toward him, while trying to avoid being burnt to a crisp. Joey looked at Yami. "Yami! What the heck are you thinkin? Get outta here! You're gonna get turned into toast!" "Yeah, like I'm just going to leave you to fend off a giant, fire-breathing, dragon by yourself!" Yami retorted.

"It wouldn't be a bad idea. Seeing as how you have your own monster to deal with." Takesha's voice sounded. As the two boys turned their head's in the direction of the noise, a large ball of dark energy exploded just feet away from them. They yelped in surprised and stopped running. Yami immediately threw himself to the ground and dragged Joey along with him. They just barely missed being scorched by the fire of the once loyal dragon.

Red-Eyes flew right over them and took it's place next to another creature. A very familiar monster in a purple outfit with a large staff and a big pointy hat. "Dark Magician?" The pharaoh recognized. "That's not good!" the blonde commented.

Takesha laughed darkly. "Yes. Very good Pharaoh. I assume you've figured it out by now." Yami glared into the darkness. "Curse you..." "Curse huh? Sounds like a great idea. Dark Magician, show him one of your little spells." Takesha ordered. The Dark Magician pointed it's staff at Yami, a ball of dark energy building up. It fired. "Hey! Look out!" Joey tackled him out of the way. The blast exploded as it hit an invisible wall. Takesha laughed, amused. "Prepare fools. You'll now need saving from the very creatures you've relied on to save you for all these years!"

* * *

MP: Ah...finally. Now I can relax...until the next chapter needs posting. So, how will our heroes win when up against their favorite monsters? Will they ever get out of here? Will they be able to save the world this time? Will they really be able to conquer their biggest fears? And quite possibly the most important question...Will Takesha EVER learn that an "evil eyepatch" really isn't all that cool? Probably not...Anyway, to find the answers to those other questions, just keep checking in for updates. I PROMISE the next chapter will be up sooner than three months this time. Hopefully sometime this month or near the start of January. Anywho, thanks again for reading! Remember to review! Oh, and here is the Preview...of course.

* * *

**Preview for Chapter 10**

As they were running, Yami's mind was yelling at him to think of a plan. Anything. Anything at all. Anything that would get them safely away from here! But he couldn't come up with anything.

He tried to think back to Yugi's battle with the giant snake for inspriration. Though the situation was more than a little different. Yugi had faced a giant snake. And it had unintensionally killed itself. While here, he was up against two life-size Duel Monsters. And he seriously doubted that the Dark Magician would attack itself with a spell or that the Red-Eyes would set itself on fire. That's when it clicked. How do you kill two live Duel Monsters? You don't. They do.

"Joey! I have an idea!"


	10. Into the Fire

MP: Okay, so it's a few days later than I had hoped. But point is...The chapter is finally up! Woo hoo! Thank you for waiting loyal readers. I'm not so sure that this is a great chapter. And to be honest, I think I'm losing my touch a bit. Having a little trouble trying to come up with how they'll get past these stunts. But I'm trying my best and I hope that's enough to keep you all interested. Now then, on with the new chapter. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**

* * *

**

**Seal of Fears**

**_Chapter 10_**

* * *

****

Joey looked at Yami as they both got up. "Okay...now how do we get outta this one?" he asked. The pharaoh didn't answer. He just glared at the monsters. All he could think of was how Takesha had shamed his creature. His most loyal and faithful battle partner. His eyes were on fire with rage. He wasn't going to forgive this so easily.

It was a good thing that Joey managed to snap him out of his angry stare. Otherwise our favorite dueling pharaoh would have been blown away. The Dark Magician fired another blast. The two jumped out of the way, only to meet the flame of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. They barely managed to escape that by falling to the ground. The fire went right over there heads, and managed to singe a few black and blonde hairs.

"This is bad. What are we gonna do?" Joey asked again. "I'm working on it." Yami said, trying desperately to figure out how to get out of here. The two boys stood up again. "Well, if you don't have an idea, I do." the blonde said. "Really? What is it?" the tri-colored haired one asked. Joey suddenly grabbed Yami's hand and hurriedly pulled him off in a random direction. "RUN!"

The pharaoh blinked. He looked at his friend, slightly disappointed. "This isn't a very good plan." And loud explosion rocked the earth. The monsters chased after them. The teens sped up. "Yeah, but it's all I got!"

As they were running, Yami's mind was yelling at him to think of a plan. Anything. Anything at all. Anything that would get them safely away from here! But he couldn't come up with anything.

He tried to think back to Yugi's battle with the giant snake for inspriration. Though the situation was more than a little different. Yugi had faced a giant snake. And it had unintensionally killed itself. While here, he was up against two life-size Duel Monsters. And he seriously doubted that the Dark Magician would attack itself with a spell or that the Red-Eyes would set itself on fire. That's when it clicked. How do you kill two live Duel Monsters? You don't. They do.

"Joey! I have an idea!"

* * *

Takesha watched the scene from a distance. He was in the same place as the other two boys. Infact, at times, he was close enough to touch them. But he stayed hidden. Invisible in the shadows.

He smirked contently. This was more fun than he had hoped. Imagine. The big strong pharaoh, running in fear. How he loved the look of terror on his enemy's face. That strong, determined face. Never flinching. Never looking scared. And yet now it was twisted into pure fright. How amusing.

"Hm? What's this?" The man saw that the two boys were still running. But now they looked like they were going in different directions. "Heh. They think they can escape by splitting up? Have they forgotten that there are two monsters?"

As more and more distance separated the teens, the monsters seemed to copy them. Red-Eyes chased after Joey. Meanwhile, Dark Magician followed Yami. The boys ran further and further along, the monsters right on their heels. Soon they were quite a long ways apart. It was then that something most interesting happened. They turned around and ran toward eachother.

* * *

Joey ran as fast as he could. He'd been doing that a lot lately. His legs felt like they would snap soon if he kept this up. He had a feeling that, when this was all over, he wouldn't walk for weeks. Anyway, no time for that now. He had to concentrate on the large dragon that was pursuing him.

He managed to look behind him to steal a glance at his friend. Yami was going in the opposite direction. Pretty much running away from him. Only he was being chased by a deadly magician. The blonde wasn't sure which monster he would prefer to have to deal with. Both were bad news. He came to the conclusion that if asked which he'd rather handle, he would answer that he'd rather just sit down and play the dang card game.

_Okay...I think we're far enough away now. Better check with Yami. _he thought hurriedly. "Hey, Pharaoh! Ya ready?" he shouted. Yami shouted back. "Yes! I'm all set here!" "Are you sure this'll work? I ain't so sure of this plan of yours!" Joey yelled. "Trust me! It'll work!" Yami replied. "And if it doesn't?" the blonde asked. "Joey, please just work with me here!" the spiky haired teen answered.

_Alright. Here we go then..._ Joey thought. He took a few breathes, trying to keep himself calm. _One...two..._ "NOW!" the pharaoh cried. They suddenly stopped for a split second and then turned around. Just barely dodging the attacks of the monsters, they managed to get themselves turned around and started heading straight for eachother.

As they ran closer and closer, Joey looked up at his monster. It was still hot on his trail. Quite literally. It was still blowing flames. The blonde smirked. _Dat's right. Come on. Make a nice big fire ball..._ The Red-Eyes complied with his request. It started to build up a red, glowing ball in it's mouth. Waiting for the right time to fire.

Meanwhile, Yami watched as the magician built up a large black ball of energy for it's own attack. Knowing they had to time this just right, he quickened his pace. Almost there. Just a little further.

The two boys finally stopped running when they met eachother face to face. Well, more like face to shoulder, given Yami's height. But you get the general idea. They stood for a few seconds, waiting for their monsters to catch up. "Ready Joey?" Yami asked. Joey nodded. "Ready."

The creatures continued to rush forward. Their blasts now big enough. Without hesitation, they fired, directly across from eachother, at the two boys. "NOW!" the teens yelled in unison. What happened next occured in a blur. Yami and Joey immediately dropped, clinging to the ground. The attacks missed them. Just passing over their heads. The fire that soared in a stream ran right into the Dark Magician. And the burst of shadow energy collided with the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. There was a loud screeching and roaring, followed by two explosions. And then, there was silence.

* * *

Takesha shielded his face from the blast. A great wind blew, pulling along small bits of debris. When he looked at the battle scene again, it was covered in smoke. As it slowly cleared, his eyes widened. The monsters where gone.

* * *

Joey opened his eyes slowly. He lifted his head and glanced around. Inches away, Yami was doing the same. When they saw that there were no creatures, they sat up. "Did...it work?" Joey asked.

Yami spotted something behind him on the floor. He carefully picked it up. When he looked at it, he couldn't help but smile. "Yes. I'd say it worked perfectly." He showed the item to Joey. It was a Dark Magician card. The blonde looked behind himself and saw a Red-Eyes Black Dragon card.

He grinned victoriously. "Wow. I can't believe dat actually worked! I gotta hand it to ya, Yami. Dat was a great plan." The pharaoh nodded. "Indeed. I was worried it wouldn't work." The taller teen blinked. "What? You mean you weren't sure about it?" The shorter boy gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I kind of wasn't. The Dark Magician has 100 more attack points than Red-Eyes...so I wasn't completely sure that it would be destroyed. Looks like it was though!"

Joey stared off for a minute. He didn't quite like the feeling of knowing how close he had come to defeat. He quickly snapped out of it thoughts. He laughed it off. "Yeah, at least it worked." He got up and helped the other boy to his feet. The spiky haired teen thanked him, and looked at his card. He was still heated with anger at Takesha for disgracing the cards. But he'd have to deal with that later. Because in about three seconds they'd have to face another challenge by the fiend.

The two duelists pocketed their cards. Takesha's voice suddenly echoed once again. "So, you've managed to defeat your own monsters have you? Well, no matter. That just means more amusement for me." "Hey! Why don't ya stop sending stupid monsters ta attack us and come fight us yourself? Or are ya scared of a couple of kids?" Joey challenged the man.

The hidden man only chuckled at the boy's attempt at rattling his cage. "Don't worry. This next fear won't be monsters. Well, not to you. Perhaps they seemed that way to your friend, Tea Gardener." The ancient duelist felt himself burning with rage again, as the name of a lost friend came up. The man's voice seemed to taint it as it passed his lips.

He would have continued his anger, had Joey not tapped his shoulder. "Uh, Yami?" He quickly came out of his silent frustration. "Yes? What is it?" The blonde pointed to the floor, which looked as if it were moving. "Is that suppose ta happen?" Taking a closer look, the crimson eyed youth saw that this was no floor. "No, probably not."

"Hey, you got something on yer back dere." The blonde spied something on his friend's back. He took a closer look, his eyes widening. "Woah!" He quickly swatted away the large beetle. "Where the heck did that...come...from..." The sentence died on his lips as his eyes met the answer. Covering the ground were thousands and thousands of large insects.

They hissed and scurried around. Some tried to run around the boys. Others tried to climb up on them. Joey jumped around frantically, trying to shake bugs off of him. Aswell as squashing as many as he could. But everytime he left one dead, it was covered by another swarm of critters in seconds.

"Dang it! Stupid bugs!" he shouted, flattening a cockroach. Immeadiately, a large group of ants and crickets crawled over it. "Man! It doesn't matter how many we kill! They just keep comin!" Yami wasn't having the best time with the little buggers either. Infact, he was doing worse. The insects had already made it to his knees. Apparently ancient kings aren't exactly the best bug exterminators.

"Cursed insects! I command you to get off me!" the pharaoh shouted, quite irritated. He tried to shake them off. It would be a pretty comical sight, were they not in serious danger. With Yami preoccupied, Joey would have to solve this one. As he shook a few spiders off his foot, he started trying to think of a way out. How do you kill thousands upon thousands of bugs? Well, usually with bug bombs or simply calling in professional exterminators. But those options weren't really available at the moment.

While he was brushing a centipede off his hip, he noticed a lump in his pocket. Curiousity overwhelming his panic for a moment, he stuck his hand in and dug out a small red lighter. _What the? Why do I have this? Oh, wait. I rememer. I took this from da house ta make sure my dad didn't accidently set the place on fire. _he thought. Then he got an idea.

He kept flicking the switch, trying to get it to light. _Stupid thing! C'mon! Light up! Light up! _He struggled with the device for a few minutes, giving the insects enough time to make it up to his stomach. Finally, the fire came on. Joey grinned.

He brought it down to where the bugs were, being careful not to set his clothes on fire. The insects hissed and scurried away from the heat. _Yes! It works! _he thought triumphantly. He used the small flame to scare away the bugs around him. Once he was clear, he looked over to his friend. Who was...not so well.

"Off! I command you! Release me!" The pharaoh was jumping around, yelling at the pests. Which now covered a little over half of him. "Yami, hold still!" Joey said as he rushed over. The teen did as he was told. He didn't enjoy it though. The feeling of hundreds of little critters crawling all over your body is not pleasant.

Joey held the fire close, again, trying not to turn his pal into a human candle. It took a while, but eventually all the bugs hurried away. The two boys made sure to stay close to the lighter, while holding it near the ground. They knew, however, this wouldn't work for very long.

"Joey, we have to think of another plan. This lighter isn't going to hold them off forever." Yami said, squishing an approaching beetle. "I know! I know! But I'm a little busy here!" Joey stated, trying to keep the flame going. The lighter was hot from the fire being on for so long. Not only were his palms beginning to burn, but they were also sweating. Quite a lot, apparently. Because the lighter suddenly slipped right out of his hand.

"Yah! The lighter!" the blonde yelped. It hit the ground. Before flickering out, it managed to set a cricket that had dared to get closer, on fire. It made a strange hissing and screeching sound. Quite peculiar. Of course, you'd scream too if you were a living match. It frantically hopped around, trying to find relief from the heat. While jumping, it came in contact with several other bugs, setting them ablaze aswell. Soon, the flames were spreading to each insect, forming a miniature field fire.

Joey stared in amazement. The fire seemed captivating. Fascinating. Something about watching the red and yellow glow sent him into a hypnotized state. Luckly, Yami snapped him out of it. Good thing too. He was just barely able to pull his pant leg away from the fire. The two teens watched as it grew across the floor.

That's when a thought came to mind. "Um, Yami, how are we gonna get out of this fire?" Joey asked. Yami stared up at him, with a look that basically said "...oh shoot." Clearly, neither had any idea at all. The blonde looked back to what might be the end of him. He couldn't help but think up an old saying. _Out of the frying pan...and into the fire._

* * *

Takesha gritted his teeth as he watched the field of bugs burn. Those stupid kids had outsmarted him again. How was it that their friends fell in the face of fear, yet they stood tall? And not to mention defeated them! Was that stupid power of unity thing he had always heard true? No. The two were just lucky. Friendship, togetherness, it was nothing. Strength came from one's own will and power. Luck was simply on their side. That was all it was.

He drew his foot back as the flames came closer. How he would love to watch them burn in this mess. But if he left it, he'd suffer the same fate. He had to choice but to banish the flames. With a swipe of his hand, the fire went out in the blink of an eye. Leaving only a smoking floor.

Once again, the pharaoh and his friend were lucky. But the next task would not be as easy as a snake or insects. No, this would take far more effort. They had been lucky before. But their luck had run out.

* * *

In an instant, the fire was out. No more than ashes remained. Yami and Joey stared. They hadn't exactly registered what happened. "Woah, what the heck happened?" Joey finally asked. Yami blinked. "I..guess the fire went out..." While the two where wondering how that had happened, neither was complaining. It was strange, but it was indeed appreciated.

"So, you two think you're pretty clever, do you?" Takesha's voice suddenly boomed. He didn't sound pleased. And though the two knew what he was capable of, the mischievous blonde couldn't help himself. "Nah," he said with a mocking smirk, "Yer just stupid."

You could practically hear Takesha's patience snap. "Oh, now you're funny." he replied, trying to force back a growl. He didn't want the idiot to know that he was rattled. "Well, let's see you laugh at this next fear. I can tell you that your pathetic friend Tristan didn't."

Joey felt anger pulse through him. "Why you.." he growled lowly. Yami glared into the darkness, but was keeping himself restrained. He had to be incase Joey failed to do so. Which happened all too often.

"Yer gonna pay! You hear me ya eyepatch wearing freak? I'm gonna beat you to a blood pulp! Just wait!" the blonde threatened, shaking his fist. Takesha laughed off the seemingly idle threat. His voice seemed to get further and further away. Finally, it disappeared altogether, and the two were left in an ominous silence.

Joey stared with fire in his eyes for a few moments longer. "Joey." Yami suddenly said. Joey blinked and turned to his friend, temporarily forgetting his anger. "Huh? What?" The egyptian gazed intensly at him. "We must be very careful. As much as I despise this man, I must admit that he is powerful. You should be more cautious. Pick your battles and save your anger and energy for these obsticles." Joey blinked. He nodded, understanding. "Right. Sorry." "Don't apologize. Just keep calm." Yami replied. Joey nodded again.

They might have talked a little more, but they were interrupted. By what, you may ask? A loud stomping sound. The two froze, knowing they would soon begin their next fight. As the booming footsteps got closer, a large figure came into view. It's piercing red eyes shown through the darkness. It's talons gleemed, reflecting an unknown light source. As it came into view, it was recognized as a demonic creature that burned into the memories of the teens, from days long past.

"Is that...Zorc?" Joey asked, eyes wide in fear and disbelief. Yami shared his stare. "I believe it is..." he answered. Zorc roared loudly, making the ground shake slightly. It was then that the pair knew they were in serious trouble.

Honey brown eyes glanced to crimson ones. "Any ideas dis time?" he asked hopefully. He was met with disappointment, when the pharaoh looked like he had the same question. Joey sighed, looking up at what just might be their doom. "Well, let's see how we make it outta this one..."

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MP: Bum bum bum! Yay! Cliffhanger! Don't hurt me! Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now I just gotta figure out how to get past Zorc and wrap this up. Heh. I probably should have thought more of this up before. Oh well. Anyway, thanks for reading! Until next chapter! Oh, and please don't forget to Review!

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**Preview for Chapter 11**

Before the discussion could carry on further, the loud booming footsteps returned to their ears. The two looked up to see Zorc walking toward them. Joey winced slightly, trying to hide the fact that he was, regretfully, scared out of his mind at the evil creature.

As the monster advanced on them, the two backed up as far as they could. Soon, they found their backs against an invisible wall. "Uh oh...not good." Joey muttered. "Nowhere left to run." Yami stated. And indeed, there wasn't. Zorc came closer and closer. It finallly stopped mere feet in front of them. They were frozen, unsure what to do.

The monster suddenly lifted it's fist up and shot it right at the two. Joey yelped and tried to get up, only to find his leg slipping out from under him, pulling him back to the ground. Zorc sent out a growl as the fist swiftly came at them. Joey squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the attack.

He suddenly heard a noise like footsteps in front of him. Daring to open his eyes, they widened when he saw what was going on. Yami had run in front of him and was standing defensively, ready to take the full force of the hit. "Yami!" Joey shouted. The pharaoh stood unflinching. Joey tried to get to his feet to pull his friend back, but the fist hit first. Suddenly, there was a loud booming, a bright flash of light, a roar, and a short scream.


End file.
